Tears of the Gods
by Miranda-sama
Summary: The peace after Naraku's defeat does not last long. A new threat appears, far more dangerous than Naraku. For what could be more dangerous than the power of the gods themselves? I order to prevent the destruction of all they know, Kagome and Sesshoumaru embark on an adventure. For you need both, the light and the dark, to gain ultimate power and save the balance in the world.
1. Chapter 1 - Tears of the Underworld

I do not own Inu Yasha and the original Characters from the story.

Youkai - demon

Miko - priestess

Oni-san - brother

seiza - The japanese style of proper sitting

This is the first story I am posting here. I hope you enjoy reading it.

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 **CHAPTER ONE - Tears of the Underworld**

Darkness surrounded the lone wanderer as he walked silently through the woods. His cold, golden eyes set hard on a destination. His silver hair swaying softly behind in the light breeze and illuminating the darkness around him. He clenched his hand around the hilt of his sword tightly, almost drawing blood with his razor-sharp claws. On the outside he seemed calm and collected, a silent predator. But his insides boiled. He was angry. _Furious_. And it showed in his dark aura, making all the small creatures in his vicinity run for their lives.

The pain in his side made him betray his cool demeanor. He winced and stopped as more blood escaped his wound. The last battle took him by surprise. He believed that after the battle with Naraku there was no opponent that could be of interest to him. Not that the Hanyou had been a threat, per see, but he was an annoying pain in his side. Just like his wound.

But apparently someone new appeared to annoy him. A seemingly weak and unimportant cat youkai he had never met or heard of before. But a clever one, he had to admit. He seemed to use some sort of spell that affected Sesshoumaru's senses, but only slightly. That he actually managed to hurt him in battle was only because Sesshoumaru was too preoccupied with thoughts of his lands and what to do with them at that moment, that he failed to notice this knew threat.

He could have laughed at this seemingly powerless creature that appeared out of nowhere and _demanded_ of him, _him_ – _the lord of the Western Lands_ \- to know the location of some objects. He clearly had better things to do than to engage in conversations with unimportant beings. He did not pay much attention to this vermin, but the mention of one particular object caught his attention because he knew what it was and where to find it. It was a stone with the power to open the gate to hell.

He asked about the Meidou Stone that was in possession of his mother. That finally got his attention and made him notice the youkai, but before he could question this dubious creature, he lost his senses and got attacked. When he tried to dispose of him he was already gone. This annoyed Sesshoumaru to no end. How could he _dare_ to leave him before this battle was finished?! Now he had to lose precious time to find this creature and end its miserable life.

How annoying. _Really._

The best way to find out the cat youkai's identity would be his mother. Not many people knew of the Meidou Stone's existence, at least not many that were still walking the realm of the living. So, his mother should know who possessed such knowledge and could possibly seek her Meidou Stone.

Straightening again, he proceeded to walk toward his destination. His mother's castle. Silently, he moved through the dark woods in the direction of the castle in the sky. His wound would heal within the next two days if he saved energy and walked most of the way. So, he walked on until he caught a familiar scent in the air.

He sniffed again to confirm what he smelled. Wondering what she was doing out here on her own, he turned towards the fresh scent that reminded him of sakura blossoms and walked into a fire-lit camp shortly afterwards. His eyes wandered to the woman sleeping peacefully next to the fire in her strange sleeping bag. Alone and with bow in hand.

Sesshoumaru frowned. Of what use was her weapon if she wasn't able to sense a threat to herself?

There he stood, a predator, in the middle of the night only two feet away and all she did was roll onto the other side. His eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

"Miko", he spoke evenly and waited, but no reaction came from the sleeping woman.

" _Miko",_ he repeated annoyed and poked her with his boot between her shoulder blades.

Now that got a reaction out of her.

Screaming, the woman tried to notch an arrow while jumping out of her bedding, but tripped over it in the process and fell on her behind, whispering curses and fumbling with her bow, trying again to shoot an arrow at him.

"Woman, stop this nonsense. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done so more than once without you noticing."

The sound of his voice made her stop and look up at him. It took her few seconds to adjust her eyes in the dark enough to recognize the person in front of her.

"Sesshoumaru, what the _hell_! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing here anyway?"

He sneered at her comment.

"I could ask you the same, Miko. Why are you here on your own and where is your intended mate?"

Kagome blushed at the mention of Inu Yasha being her intended mate. It was only a few more weeks until their mating ceremony, to which Sesshoumaru as the last living part of Inu Yasha's family had been invited.

After the final battle with Naraku things changed between them all. While Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru still failed to develop a brotherly relationship, they at least started to tolerate and respect each other in their own way. Inu Yasha inviting his older brother and Sesshoumaru actually accepting an invitation to Inu Yasha's mating ceremony and thus honoring his choice of mate being one way of showing the progress in their relationship.

Sesshoumaru was never fond of humans but his feelings towards them changed over time thanks to Rin, Kagome and her friends. They all proved their worth in their own way, showing that not all humans were worthless, greedy creatures. Especially Rin and the miko. Rin adored the miko like a mother figure and so Sesshoumaru spent some time in her and the miko's company whenever he came to visit his ward. Sometimes, if he had a particularly good day, he even spoke a few words with Inu Yasha.

Kagome sighed and let her bow drop to the ground again, placing her shaking hand above her heart.

"I'm sorry Onii-san, but you really scared me. Inu Yasha has been called to help a village with a serpent youkai problem and went together with Miroku. While they were away, a woman from a neighboring village came seeking help in tending to their people who had fallen terribly ill. I did all I could to help them and well, now I'm on my way back."

"Still, you should not sleep on your own unprotected if you fail to detect any presence. This is foolish. Rin would be most unhappy if something happened to you as would my half-brother."

She was about to retort something sharp when she noticed his forced stance and the way his hand clutched a dark spot on his otherwise bright haori. She forgot what she wanted to retort, jumped up and started to tug at his haori without thinking, trying to inspect the wound.

"Oh my god, Sesshoumaru, you're bleeding! What happened?"

Gently, Sesshoumaru pushed her away.

"It is of no consequence; the wound will heal. I underestimated an opponent. A mistake that this Sesshoumaru will not repeat."

"I know that it will heal but it still looks pretty bad. Please, I can help you. Kaede taught me how to use my reiki to heal wounds. It will heal faster that way."

Sesshoumaru considered her offer for a moment. It did not surprise him that the miko offered her help to him. In the time he spent with Rin and her, he learned that the miko was unique in everything. Unique in clothing, knowledge, power and even in her stubbornness. If she wanted to help it wasn't because there was something to gain for her in the process. And the faster he could visit his mother the sooner he could chase this strange youkai.

"Very well", he finally answered and lowered himself to the ground so that she could tend to his wound.

Kagome knelt next to him. "I will have to touch you to do it".

Sesshoumaru understood and opened his haori enough for her to expose the wound. Kagome prepared a wet cloth to clean it and to see the exact damage inflicted upon him. Carefully, she removed the blood by gently pressing the cloth to his side.

"Who did this?", she asked after a while without looking up from his wound.

"I do not know, but I will soon."

Kagome snorted and put the cloth away before placing her hand carefully above his wound.

"Yeah, I bet that. This could sting a little but remember, I'm not trying to hurt you. So, please, don't lash out at me or something while I'm healing you."

Sesshoumaru glared at her for assuming that he was incapable of controlling himself, but she had already closed her eyes in concentration. A Pink light appeared where her hands touched his body and he felt her powers rise. But instead of hurting him like reiki normally would do to a youkai, hers seemed to caress him. Easing the pain while knitting his flesh together. Sesshoumaru felt warm and content at her touch, which surprised him for he rarely felt anything. After a few minutes the feeling subsided as she removed her hands from his person, leaving him cold.

"There, all done", she said satisfied after inspecting her work.

Sesshoumaru stood. "Thank you, Kagome."

She smiled up at him from her position on the ground.

"You're welcome, Onii-san. I'm glad I could help."

Sesshoumaru walked toward the tree next to her sleeping bag and sat under it, crossing his legs.

"Go back to sleep, miko. In the morning I will escort you to Edo."

Kagome frowned but collapsed on her bedding nonetheless.

"Thank you, but I don't want to bother you, I'm fine."

"No but's. Now rest."

Yawning, she complied, too tired to argue with him, and went back to sleep under his watchful eye.

They left early next morning and spend most of the way in comfortable silence. It didn't take them long to reach Edo.

"So, this is it", Kagome sighed and turned to him.

"Thank you for escorting me safely back home. Guess you didn't want your future sister-in-law getting killed. How sweet of you."

At his silent glare she started to giggle.

"Oh Sesshoumaru, I'm just joking. It's such a beautiful day and you are no fun. So, are you coming too? You could visit Rin. She would be overjoyed to see you again so soon."

He ignored her comment and turned his head in the direction of his mother's castle. He wasted enough time already.

"Another time, miko", he answered without looking back at her. "This Sesshoumaru has pressing matters that he hast to attend."

Kagome sighed. "I thought so. Well, see you around then, I guess. And thank you again."

With one last smile at his back Kagome turned in the direction of the village and began her walk. Sesshoumaru turned again and watched her walk the way down until she reached the border of the village.

"Until next time, Kagome."

He murmured after her before turning on his heel and disappearing into the forest.

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He could feel her youki shift as he neared the castle. He felt it wrap around himself and then subside again after recognizing him. When he landed on the castle grounds she was already there, waiting for him. Clothed in heavy layers of a dark blue kimono with silvery flower patterns she stood as regal as a woman of her noble position could. Her long silver-white hair was partly pulled up in two ponytails, the rest flowing elegantly behind her. A smirk played around her painted dark red lips while she raised an eyebrow at her unexpected visitor.

"Now, Sesshoumaru, what a surprise. I did not expect you to visit again before the next century. Now, son, tell me could it be that you missed your dear mother?"

Sesshoumaru regarded her with a cold glare.

"Do not play games, mother. This Sesshoumaru came to you because he is seeking information on the Meidou Stone in your possession."

The woman sighed and pretended to be hurt by his mannerism.

"My dear son, no love left for your dear mother who raised you and cared for you. Always straight to business." She turned and entered her gardens. Sesshoumaru followed after her, not commenting on her speech. He knew his mother's games all too well to care. It was her way of annoying him since she was bored and not the fact that she cared about him. She never really did. She was a cold and ruthless demoness. Just like he was a cold and ruthless youkai. She stopped before a sakura tree and outstretched her hand to touch the flower petals carefully with her long, red-painted claws.

"Why do you seek this knowledge, Sesshoumaru? Last time when I used it to return your little human pet from the underworld you did not care. So tell me, why the sudden interest?", she asked without averting her eyes from the flower between her claws.

"It is not the object itself that raises my interest but rather those who would bother to seek it, especially those related to the cat youkai tribe."

Sesshoumaru's mother regarded her son with a thoughtful glance before letting go of the petal and turning completely to him.

"I see", she only answered before turning again and starting to walk away, leaving her son behind. When she noticed that Sesshoumaru did not immediately follow her, she stopped for a second and regarded him with a quick glance over her shoulder.

"I am going to have dinner. You should join me, Sesshoumaru. It has been some time since I had the opportunity to share a meal. I grow bored of the servants' constant chatter about nonsense."

Sesshoumaru sneered. "I have no time for pretended formalities, mother. This Sesshoumaru has a cat youkai to kill."

Smirking, she walked into her castle without further sparing him a glance and spoke softly, knowing that he could still hear her.

"This Inukari does not care. If you want answers you know where to find your mother."

And without another word she disappeared inside the castle, leaving her son to his thoughts.

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They sat on cushions at a long dining table, his mother sitting in perfect seiza as befitting her status and slowly sipping her cup of tea. They dined in silence. The only noise during their meal was made by the servants carrying different trays and bottles. Sesshoumaru glared again at his mother, waiting for her to finally speak up, but when she did finally speak it was to order two more cups and a bottle of sake. Disbelievingly, Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mother, stop being ridiculous. I did not come to drink sake with you. I want information and I rather have it _now_ than later." That statement earned him a heated glare from his mother. She waited for the scared boar youkai servant to pour their cups and handed one silently to him, regarding him coolly. When he did not take the cup immediately from her she hissed and bared her fangs at him.

"Stop being such an insolent pup and do as you are told! If you want the information take the cup."

Sesshoumaru returned the hiss but took the cup from her hand nonetheless. He hated his mother. He considered just killing her for a split of a second but then he would not gain any information. Dead people could not speak after all. He could of course kill her first and then bring her back with Tenseiga, but he doubted that she would be willing to share her knowledge with him should he indeed kill her, even if only shortly. So reluctantly, he took the cup from her hand and emptied it at once. Inukari smirked, knowing she had won and refilled the cups herself, after emptying hers. They sat like this for another hour without talking before his mother asked innocently about Rin and Jaken.

"Do not pretend to care", Sesshoumaru answered coolly while sipping at his cup of sake.

She glared at him. "Fine if you insist on playing the pup, be that way. I believe you have been punished enough now."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched at her comment. "Punished? For what reason do you deem it necessary to punish this Sesshoumaru?"

Pretending to be deeply hurt by his actions, she placed a hand over her heart. "Why, for not visiting your mother more often, of course! How can you be so cruel to the woman who gave life to you? Oh, what did I do wrong, to deserve this kind of treatment from my only son!" Her voice started to sound teary but Sesshoumaru did not buy it for a second. He almost rolled his eyes at her. Almost. He was Sesshoumaru and Sesshoumaru did not roll his eyes.

"That is enough, woman."

Smirking, she returned to a perfect seiza.

"Perhaps then, you should start with what happened. I assume from your questions earlier a cat youkai was seeking knowledge of the Meidou Stone?"

Sesshoumaru nodded at her and told in short words what happened when he met the feline, without revealing his injury and encounter with the miko. That was no business of hers.

"Hmmmm," Inukari regarded her son with a long, thoughtful glance before questioning him further.

"And this feline youkai could not have, perhaps, mentioned two other objects?"

He considered her question for a moment. Yes, the cat youkai had asked about some objects, but he did not pay attention since he thought the demon beneath himself. His curiosity was only sparked at the mention of the Meidou Stone. But then it was already too late. His mother took his silence as an affirmative and asked again.

"Sesshoumaru, do you know how your father managed to get Tenseiga?"

"Totousai created this sword from father's fang just as he did with the Tessaiga."

Sesshoumaru's mother sneered. "Do you really believe your father to be so invincible, so powerful,l that his fang alone was able to empower a sword to open the gate to hell and restore life? Something so many powerful beings tried to achieve but failed? Your father was powerful, but not _that_ powerful." She smirked at some memories that only she recalled. "He was not even able to defeat me in a honest battle. Really Sesshoumaru, are you still worshiping your great and terrible father, like a pup?"

Even though he hated being reprimanded by his mother he did not show it and kept his cool demeanor. She did have a point. He never questioned how Totousai managed to create Tenseiga for his father, but he should have. No living being possessed such power. Not even his father. Living beings were not supposed to possess such power, yet he did.

"Perhaps then, mother, you could enlighten me", he spoke carefully.

Inukari smiled mischievously at her son.

"But with pleasure, my darling son. If you ask so kindly. Are you familiar with the legend of the gods' tears?"

Sesshoumaru again had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Why could his mother not just leave her stupid games be and tell him whatever he needed to know.

"If this Sesshoumaru was, he probably would not sit here, having this tiring conversation with you, _mother_ ", he almost spat the last word. Inukari glared sharply at him.

"Fine, be that way. I will tell you anyway, because I am such a good mother and you are such a poor son. Now be quiet and listen, you insufferable pup, for I will not repeat myself.

According to this old legend the sun goddess Amaterasu once fell in love with a human being. This love was scandalous among the gods and they all tried to convince her that it was futile and that she needed to break her bond with the human man or forever leave the godly realm. But Amaterasu could not leave behind her loved one. Not after she discovered that she was carrying the human's child. The other gods were outraged, especially Susanoo, her brother. The god of the winds and sea, who hated all human kind. After Amaterasu gave birth to her child, Susanoo attacked her human lover, killing him in the process. Afterwards, he moved to kill the child that should not exist, but in that moment, the third sibling appeared.

Tsukiyomi, the god of the moon, came to aid his weakened sister and stopped Susanoo, sending him to the underworld after a long and hard battle. The other gods tried to convince Amaterasu that she should abandon the child, for it never would be part of the godly realm. Even though this child was never supposed to exist none of the other gods wanted to kill an innocent.

Heartbroken, Amaterasu agreed to send her child to safety, where Susanoo could not find it, even if he escaped the underworld. While she kissed it goodbye, she could not stop her tears. She cried for her lost love, her lost child and even for her lost brother who tried to kill her only child. Tsukiyomi, upon seeing his sister so heartbroken, joined in her mourning and also shed his tears. It is said that their pain was so heartfelt and strong that without realizing it the two siblings added their power to their tears. Three of them materialized into stones of great power and were send to the ones that were mourned. The first stone was able to open a gate to the heavenly realm and send to the soul of Amaterasu's lost love, keeping his soul from the underworld. The second stone was send to Susanoo. It is said to hold the power to open the gateway to hell, where Susanoo resides. Serving as a prison and keeping him from escaping. The third stone is said to hold the power of balance. In the wrong hands it could change the cause of life by shifting the balance of good and evil to whatever side its holder whished. However, this stone is said to have disappeared together with the child and was never seen or heard of again."

Silence followed her story. Sesshoumaru repeated it a few times in his mind and tried to process what his mother wanted to tell him.

"You mean to tell me", he started carefully not sure if he was following what she wanted to tell him. It seemed unbelievable. "That these stones truly exist? And that the Meidou Stone is one of them?", slowly he finished.

His mother nodded and pulled the stone from the chain around her neck.

"Think, son, this stone has the power to open the gate to the underworld. You have seen it with your own eyes and walked this path, not only once. Every time you used Tenseiga you opened the gateway for it is the stone that gave Tenseiga its power."

Silently, he considered her words.

"How did father acquire it?"

"Your father was always seeking power and when he heard of this legend he wanted to find the stones and possess all the power from all realms. A foolish thought, as he himself learned. He followed clues that he found scattered all across the lands even though I advised him not to. To me, it was a foolish quest, since it was but a legend, but your father proved me wrong. He found the Meidou Stone. He learned that no one was able to gather all stones because no one had all the power needed to accomplish this task. To collect the tear of the underworld a creature of dark energy is needed, but the tear of heavens can be collected solely by creatures of light. As to the tear of the living realm, he never found the answer. But after he learned the true power of the Meidou Stone, he knew that we mortals were not meant to control such power. Instead of seeking the stones he started to protect the one he found.

Over the years many sought to get the Meidou Stone, one of them being Dairan. A powerful leader of the eastern cat youkai tribe. As you know, the cats have once ruled the northern lands, before they were overpowered by the dragons. Dairan was their heir who never got the chance to rule. Since then he sought all sources of power to become stronger to not only reclaim his lands but also all the other. He wanted to be the sole ruler of all. One day, he found your father and demanded the stone. Inu no Taisho tried to reason with him, explaining that this power was not meant for us mortals. They fought over the stone, but your father defeated him. Afterwards, he and Totousai found a way to weaken the stones power by embedding part of it into a sword. This is how Tenseiga was forged. I believe the cat youkai who bothered you could be somehow related to Dairan and trying to end what he started hundreds of years ago."

Sesshoumaru pulled Tenseiga out of its sheath and regarded it in a new light. It pulsed at the closeness to its other part. The stone seemed to do the same for Inukari closed her hands around the stone before tugging it back under her kimono.

"Hnnn, so this means that this is not Tenseiga's full potential. What is the true power of the Meidou Stone?"

Sesshoumaru's mother narrowed her eyes dangerously at her son. "This should not concern you! No living being in this realm is able to control its full power. It can do more than open the gate to hell. It can send souls to hell without the need to touch a living being, reawaken the dead and control them. But more so, it will control _you_. It is for the better that its power has been split."

That made him angry. "Do not assume too much, mother. This Sesshoumaru is merely curious. I am not so weak as to take power that is not my own. But by finding the other stones or _tears,_ the feline will eventually come to me."

The cup in Inukari's hand fell to the ground with a loud _thud,_ spilling its contents on the polished marbles.

"Did you not listen to me, pup? It is dangerous to seek them! The whole _world_ would be in danger if the artifacts fell into the wrong hands! Besides, son of mine, you cannot even collect the tear of heaven so what will you do?"

Sesshoumaru smirked. A devilish predatory smirk, formed on his face as he thought of a blue-eyed miko that was more than happy to help wherever she was needed. With her help he would be able to collect the stones, lure the cat out and afterwards dispose of them. And if they could not dispose of them he would find a way to keep them safe. His smirk turned into a wide grin, showing his sharp fangs. This time, it was he who grabbed the bottle of sake and refilled their cups handing one to his skeptical mother. "Do not trouble yourself mother, this Sesshoumaru knows _exactly_ what to do." And with one quick gulp he emptied his cup, sealing his plan.

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This was the first chapter. Please note that the legend of the gods's tears was completely invented by me. There is no historical or mythological background whatsoever appart from Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukiyomi beeing indeed gods in japanese mythology. And they are indeed siblings. But that's all!

This is my first fanfic in english, so I apologize if you should find any mistakes.

I had this idea for some time now and had to finally write it down for it would not leave me alone. If you enjoy reading this story or have suggestions where i could improve it, please leave a review. I really appreciate it!


	2. Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

Hi everyone!

First of all, I want to thank you for your reviews. They were highly motivating! It's great to know that there are people who enjoy this story.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Yours,

Miranda-sama

I do not own Inu Yasha

hikari - light

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 **CHAPTER 2 - The Journey Begins**

"….8, 9, 10! Ready or not, I'm coming!"

A loud, feminine voice echoed through the sun-lit forest, interrupting the chirp of birds.

Placing a hand over her lips to repress a giggle, the black-haired woman clothed in a traditional red and white priestess garb, tip-toed through the woods, avoiding loose branches on her path as to not make any noise. Rays of sun broke though the top of the trees, illuminating her long, black hair, adding a bluish hue to it. She stopped for a second, concentrating on the different noises trying to hear the telltale sounds of giggling children. A grin appeared on her lips after hearing a snicker to her left. Turning in that direction, she went for the bushes. A second giggle confirmed her suspicion.

"Hmmmm, where could they be hiding….", she pretended to not have heard them and went for a tree.

"Here? …Hmm… no… they are so good at hiding. How about _here_?" She tried another spot, next to the location the children were hiding, knowing they would not be there but letting them have their fun at it. Giggles echoed through the rustling bushes.

"Here, got you!"

The children screamed in joy when the miko jumped at them through the bushes. Laughing hysterically, both clung onto her legs, beaming brightly up at her.

"Kagome-sama, that was so much fun! You had a hard time finding us, right? We made it super difficult for you!", the little girl to her right exclaimed happily, grinning toothlessly at her. Kagome laughed.

"But of course! I was already wondering if I was _ever_ going to find you two."

The children beamed even more at her reply. To her left, the small fox kit tugged at her hakama. "Kagome, now you hide and we will be looking for you!"

The little girl nodded in agreement. Kagome smiled at them.

"Sure, but remember, Shippou, don't use your demonic abilities. That would be unfair."

The boy pouted at her but agreed nonetheless.

"Alright, Rin, Shippou, start counting to ten and I will hide. And remember, no cheating!"

While the children covered their eyes and started to count, she dashed for the trees and hid behind one of them.

After a few minutes of not being found, she carefully peeked around the corner and watched the children walk into the wrong direction. Snickering, she turned her head back around and was met with hard, golden eyes only mere inches away from her face.

A loud shriek escaped her throat, and instinctively, she pulled back, pressing herself so hard against the trunk of the tree that she almost hugged it.

She stared a few seconds at the intruder, hand placed over her rapidly beating heart.

The questioning rise of his eyebrow rose her out of her stupor.

"Sesshoumaru! You nearly gave me a heart attack! _Again!_ "

For a split of a second something akin to amusement flashed in his eyes before they returned to their usual stoic self.

"This Sesshoumaru is not at fault when you are unaware of your surroundings, miko."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"What a typical thing for you to say, really. Great, now you revealed my hiding spot."

Really, what was his problem? Couldn't he just appear like any other person and say something, somehow announcing himself? Did he always have to scare her like that? If she didn't know any better, she would think that it somehow amused him to get a rise out of her in such a way. How fortunate for him that she _did_ know better. As if there was something that could amuse _Sesshoumaru._ She highly doubted that he even knew what amusement was.

Sesshoumaru continued to stare, looking questioningly at her.

"Why _were_ you hiding, miko?"

Kagome sighed. "Never mind, it was just a game."

As if on cue, the children came running at them. Shippou was already shouting in her direction, a frightened expression on his face.

"Kagomeee, are you alright? We heard your scream and …", he halted after noticing no other than Sesshoumaru standing next to her.

"Oh no, I'm fine Shippou. Sesshoumaru only startled me."

He looked up at her with teary eyes before jumping onto her shoulder and hiding his face in her neck. Sesshoumaru watched Kagome's blue eyes soften as she comforted the kid while softly murmuring reassurances into his ear. Sesshoumaru could not pull his eyes from this sight. Mesmerized by that unusual show of affection between a miko and a youkai, he did not pay attention to his surroundings for a second. His eyes widened shortly in surprise as something ore rather someone attached himself onto his leg. Gently, Sesshoumaru placed a hand on the girl's head while returning to his emotionless façade.

"Rin", he greeted.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin is so happy to see you! Rin has missed you so much! Is Jaken-sama with you?", she asked looking around for the small toad youkai.

"No. This Sesshoumaru sent him to attend to duties in the western castle. I came to speak with the miko."

Holding the kit to her, Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Sesshoumaru regarded the children with a quick glance before looking directly into her eyes, making his point clear to her.

"In private, miko. The presence of the elder miko would be also appreciated."

Kagome understood and motioned for him to follow her while leading them back to the village.

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Sesshoumaru's plan of action had been perfect, or so he thought. And it was also simple, _really._

Just get to Edo, grab the miko, find the stones, kill the cat, go back to normal.

See? _Easy_.

However, it never occurred to him that he would be encountering problems with part two of his glorious plan. He never considered that the miko might be having reservations about accompanying him. He pondered on just grabbing her, literary, and be done with it. But he doubted she would do as she was told, if he took her by force. She had way too much temper for it, as he well knew from earlier times, when they met as enemies while still hunting for Naraku. As much as he hated it, he had to actually _convince_ her. What a nuisance.

They sat together in the elder miko's hut, while Kagome pondered on his words. Eyes fixed on the ground as she recalled all the information Sesshoumaru had shared with her.

"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, but Inu Yasha still hasn't returned and I can't leave the village unprotected again. Our mating ceremony is to be held in four weeks' time and there is still much to be done. Searching for some _tears_ and messing with the gods actually isn't on top of my agenda. Apart from that, I highly doubt I will be of any help to you. I would only be wasting your time. There are much more skilled mikos that you should consider. I apologize, but it can't be me." She bowed her head slightly in apology.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her. He did not want another miko. After all, how many mikos did he know that would be willing to work together with a demon? Unfortunately, she was the only one. Convincing people was not something that he was used to. He was a lord and whenever he gave orders, they were carried out without question. Yet, here with the miko it was different.

"This Sesshoumaru did not think you regarded yourself so lowly, miko. You are quite powerful, _for a human_ , albeit untrained."

Kagome gave him a dubious look.

"Wow, you managed to compliment and insult me in just one sentence."

Sesshoumaru raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Where did this one insult you?"

"The way you said _for a human_ , really. As if I was an ugly bug beneath your feet. As is if you were disgusted by the sheer thought of having to voice that word out loud. That's not exactly a nice way to ask for help."

Sesshoumaru pondered on his next words in order to not anger the miko any further.

"It was not my intention to insult you. This Sesshoumaru merely stated the obvious, which also included recognizing that you held power, if you would remember that part, miko. And this Sesshoumaru is _not_ asking for your _help_. I am simply in need of your…", he pondered a second on the correct word.

"...assistance."

"And what's the difference?", Kagome asked after a short pause. She regarded him carefully while crossing her arms in irritation.

"Help implies that one is not capable of achieving one's goal on his own whereas assistance means that it would be more convenient."

Sesshoumaru still regarded her through a blank expression. He was quite satisfied with his answer. But by the way the miko narrowed her eyes at him and her aura started to show her annoyance, he wasn't quite sure if she agreed with him. She regarded him for a moment, as if unsure how to voice her anger. But after a moment she merely huffed at him.

"Then by all means, do it on your own. This Kagome will not bother if she is not even needed."

Well, that did not work well. Seemingly, the miko did not share his thoughts on the matter. He did not _need_ her help.

But after remembering his mother's words he had to admit that he _did_ need it. He was no creature of light and thus he was not capable of gaining the tear of the heavenly realm. But that didn't mean that he had to tell her exactly that. Sesshoumaru pondered on what approach to take next. He remembered the miko being honorable. Perhaps he could lure her with that.

"Is it not the duty of a miko to protect the innocent?", he asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes… but-"

"And would your ignorance not harm them?"

He noticed how her shoulders tensed at his words. _Yes_ , he thought. _That is the right approach._

"Tell me Kagome, how many innocents would be killed just because you refused to assist this Sesshoumaru? Time is of essence."

Gilt flashed in her eyes and she flinched slightly at his words as if he had slapped her.

"Well", she began while shifting on her knees, "But even _if_ I agreed, how shall I be of any use? I'm not skilled enough. I have trained and improved, yes, but it's only a slight progress. Sometimes, it seems as if I was pulling a fight only to be able to use my powers. As if they didn't want to be used. Kaede tried to teach me, but nothing really seemed to work. I'm hopeless!", she exclaimed.

Resigned, Kagome slumped her shoulders and fixed her gaze on the ground before her. Sesshoumaru could smell the salt in the air while her eyes started to get misty. Quickly, she shut them. She did not want him to see that he hurt her. She would not let her tears fall in front of him.

"Even _if_ I wanted to help, I could not", she whispered while clenching her fists in her hakama.

A deep rumble startled her. She unfisted her hands and stared at Sesshoumaru who started to chuckle. His eyes were closed, and his shoulders shook with every deep rumble that escaped his throat. Even though he neither looked terrifying nor amused while chuckling, the hairs on her arms stood on end.

The chuckle stopped and Sesshoumaru stared Kagome straight in the eye. A sliver of cold amusement flashed in his eyes, before his expression returned to its usual stoic self.

"Foolish miko," he said quietly after a moment.

"Do you believe in what others make you believe? In what you yourself make you believe? If this is the case, you _really_ are of no use to this Sesshoumaru. So, tell me, Kagome. Do you _want_ to protect your friends?"

Breath caught in her throat. His assessing gaze held her captive, making it impossible to look away. Many thoughts came to her mind, but most of all the pictures of her loved ones. The people that she had left her era behind for. The people she would die for if only she could protect them from any harm.

"I do," she whispered softly after a moment. Insecurity but also determination radiating off of her. His eyes softened a little bit.

"Then just do it, miko."

Kagome stared at him for a few long minutes, lost in his orbs of molten gold that seemed to challenge her. Accepting his challenge, she merely nodded at him. She would do anything to protect her friends. And if it meant that she had to put her personal issues behind, then so be it.

"Then it is settled, we will depart in the morning", he stated quickly after sensing her determination, not leaving room for the miko to change her mind.

Silence settled between them. After a moment Sesshoumaru rose to leave for the evening. He was already at the door holding the tatami mat to the side when the voice of the elder miko finally spoke up.

"Do ye know how to gather the stones? Where will ye start?"

Turning, Sesshoumaru contemplated her. She had been silent throughout their conversation. Never voicing her thoughts.

"This one has information on the tear of the underworld, however, the whereabouts of the other two remain unknown so far."

"Hmmm", Kaede pondered on his words while stirring the stew that was cooking above the fireplace. "I remember my sister telling me a story once", she continued, gaze fixed upon the boiling stew. Kagome looked at her from her position on the ground.

"Kikyou once told me a similar legend when I was a child, though it differs slightly from what ye have told us. When I recall correctly, the _tears_ were not send to some places but to people, humans and demons alike, who swore their servitude to the gods and received power in exchange for protecting them from anyone from the living realm who would seek the stones. There is an ancient temple in the Southern Lands. The priests and priestesses there hold knowledge that is older than any human records, hidden from the rest of us. They are called the Order of Hikari. Only the most powerful spiritual beings are accepted into their midst. If ye seek knowledge on heavenly items, it is where ye should go. But remember this: they will not give ye the information freely. Ye will have to prove thy worth." Her eyes moved from the stoic demon at the entrance to her right, where Kagome was sitting on the floor and listening intently to her. Her gaze softened as she locked her eyes with the younger miko.

"I think ye do the right thing, child. Do not worry, I will talk to Inu Yasha when he returns. Even if ye journey takes longer, ye must keep the cat demon from gathering all of the three stones. The world as ye know it will cease to exist if all the heavenly tears fall into his hands. Inu Yasha will understand."

Kagome flashed her an incredulous look. She doubted that Inu Yasha would understand. After the defeat of Naraku she had been send back to her own time. She had mourned the loss of her beloved hanyou but never gave up hope that the well would reopen one day to reunite her with her love. After three years of being separated, the well had answered to her prayers and reopened to grant her passage through time for one last time. That was six months ago. They had started out right where they left and after three months he had asked her to become his mate. She remembered as if it was yesterday how overjoyed she had been.

They had waited for so long, a little bit longer wouldn't make any difference, _right?_ She thought while watching the tatami mat fall back in its place after Sesshoumaru left the hut.

 _No, it won't make any difference._

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Sniffling sounds reached her ears as she sank on her knees. She lowered her gaze at the small fox kit who chocked down a cry while drying his eyes with his sleeves. Her cerulean blue eyes softened at the small boy. Her heart clenched at the sight of the crying kit, she also didn't want to leave him. But he would not be safe if he followed her.

"I'll miss you too, Shippou-chan." The boy only cried harder at her words. Without another thought, she pulled him into a tight embrace, resting her heart-shaped chin on top of his head.

"Why, Kagome?", Shippou sobbed into her white haori, drenching it wet with his tears. "Why can't I come with you?"

Kagome sighed and pushed him gently an arm's length away from her to be able to look him in the eye. A small smile of reassurance appeared on her lips while she spoke softly.

"You are such a brave boy. I know that you are strong, but who will watch over Sango and the children in my absence? Who will protect the village from attacks?"

Calming his tears, he thought about her words. After a moment he stopped crying and looked her in the eye with still moist and red eyes.

"But who will protect you?", he whispered calmly and lowered his gaze to the ground. He had already lost his parents. And he thought he had lost Kagome once, too, when the jewel took her after the final battle with Naraku and she didn't return for three years. He did not want to lose her again.

Surprised, Shippou opened his eyes when he felt a small weight on his shoulder. Turning his head to the side he saw Rin smiling reassuringly at him, her hand on his shoulder.

"You're being silly, Shippou. Kagome-sama is going with Lord Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't let anything befall on Lady Kagome, right, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Everyone looked at the regal daiyoukai who had stood silently a few feet away and watched the scene with mild curiosity. He sneered at Rin's question.

"No one can equal this Sesshoumaru in power, the miko is pack, therefore she is safe", he said closing his eyes, the corner of his lips curling into a self-confident grin.

Kagome flashed him a grateful smile before returning her attention to the small fox kit.

"See? Everything will be fine and before you even realize that I am gone, I'll be already back."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead before releasing him and facing Sango.

The slayer had also stood aside and listened to the sad goodbyes between Kagome and Shippou.

Kagome had searched her out in the evening after Sesshoumaru left. She had told her everything about the journey she was about to depart onto with her beloved's brother, seeking her reassurance. To say Sango was shocked was an understatement. She understood Kagome's reservations. Inu Yasha and her had waited for so long. Sure, there was still time until their mating ceremony, but no one could foresee how long she would be gone.

If only Inu Yasha was here now.

Sango also had her reservations, but she understood that Kagome needed to go. If what Sesshoumaru told Kagome was true, they were all in grave danger if she did not. Kagome believed him and while Sango had her troubles believing in such a legend she knew he was no liar. Sesshoumaru was the post powerful youkai she knew, he needed no one. But if he came seeking her friend's assistance it really had to be crucial.

Sighing, she embraced her friend.

"I only wish that I could go with you. What will you do all alone?"

Kagome pulled away from her and met her gaze, smiling genuinely at her.

"You have three children that you have to take care of and another on the way. You fought enough battles already. Now it's my turn. And I'm not alone, Sesshoumaru is with me."

Sango turned her gaze to the regal daiyoukai, locking her gaze with his unwavering eyes, as if daring him.

"You better see to it, that she returns safely unless you wish to face my wrath. I may be a mother now, but I am also a taijiya and you would do well to remember that."

She ignored Kagome's shocked gasp and waited for Sesshoumaru's answer. She would not let Kagome go without his promise to protect her friend.

Sesshoumaru seemed to understand what she meant. For a second his gaze held amusement before controlling his emotions.

"This Sesshoumaru will remember it. Rest assured, slayer."

His gaze returned to Kagome, who was reprimanding her friend for her rude behavior.

"Come now, miko. It is time we leave."

Kagome tensed while trying to process the meaning of his words.

They were leaving.

She was really leaving on her own. For a moment fear overcame her and she started to worry her lower lip. It was not the first time she was leaving on a quest where she would constantly be in danger and fight. When they were out to find the jewel shards she hadn't even been prepared. She had matured since that. She got older and more skilled, but she was still afraid. Up until now she had her friends. She knew they would do everything to keep her safe just as she would do the same for them. She trusted them.

She turned to face Sesshoumaru and regarded him closely.

Did she trust Sesshoumaru?

Sure, things changed between them. The times when they were enemies had long since passed, but what was their relationship? They were more than acquaintances, but they were no friends. She doubted he would ever consider her as a friend. He was something in between, but the question remained: did she trust him?

As if sensing her inner turmoil, his gaze softened slightly. For a moment she was lost in his eyes. Those golden eyes that were so alike und unlike Inu Yasha's. Those usually blank eyes that were now pools of molten gold, swirling with so much emotions. Just as quickly as it happened, his eyes turned blank once again and Kagome released a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

"Miko."

Startled, she blinked twice at him. He narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance, but somehow this gesture made her smile.

 _She would give him a chance._

Maybe it was possible for them to become friends after all, or at least trust each other the way friends would do. They were going to be family soon, anyway. It would be nice knowing that they could still improve their relationship. Maybe even Inu Yasha could trust him fully one day.

Kagome turned to say her goodbyes to Kaede and Rin, grabbed her yellow backpack that she had brought with her to this time again and turned towards Sesshoumaru, flashing him a bright smile.

"Lead the way."

Without another word to anyone he turned and started to walk down the path facing south. Kagome followed him.

Before reaching the border of the village she turned one last time.

"Take care everyone! I'll be back soon!", she shouted with a huge grin, waving goodbye at her friends before turning around and catching up with Sesshoumaru again.

Sango watched them leave, walking side by side, before they faded into the forest line. She stood there even after the others left, eyes fixed on the spot where her friend had disappeared from her sight. She couldn't help that deep sense of foreboding that filled the pit of her stomach. She knew that nothing bad would happen to Kagome as long as Sesshoumaru was with her. Even though she still did not fully trust him, she knew one thing: Sesshoumaru was a man of honor.

So, everything would be alright.

Still, she couldn't calm that nagging feeling that something would happen and that when Kagome finally returned to them, nothing would be the same.


	3. Chapter 3 - Going South

Hey there,

finally finished the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks a lot for your reviews:)

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 **CHAPTER 3 - Going South**

They had been travelling for the past four days without any interferences. A few years ago, Kagome would have never thought that travelling with Sesshoumaru could be so pleasant. He kept a pace with which Kagome could easily keep up, he never rushed and never pushed her beyond her limits. Whenever Kagome started to tire he had already found a resting place for them. It was totally different from what she was used to while travelling with Inu Yasha, who always pushed them to their limits.

They had to argue with him to get any rest at all, which had always resulted in a very fuming Hanyou being sat.

Sesshoumaru on the contrary, was very patient.

Kagome knew that he took breaks solely for her sake. He probably could keep going for days without rest, but she was human. With Inu Yasha she had always felt bad for her stupid _human weakness,_ but with Sesshoumaru there was no reason to do so, for he seemed to understand the restrictions of being human.

Who would have thought that the almighty and human-hating Sesshoumaru could be so _considerate_ towards her kind? For someone who hated humans he did see to her comforts quite well. No wonder Rin had enjoyed travelling with him. She giggled at that thought.

A few feet ahead of her, Sesshoumaru glanced her way without slowing in his step.

"What is so amusing, miko?"

Kagome cleared her throat. "Oh nothing, I was just thinking about you."

At the questioning rise of his eyebrow she giggled again.

"It's just so strange, you and me here, working together and being civil. If someone had told me a few years ago that the two of us would be here, on friendly terms without killing each other, I would believe that person to be crazy."

Sesshoumaru's eyes focused on the path in front of him.

"Hn. Though, you never posed a threat to this Sesshoumaru."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance.

"Hey, I could still purify you, you know."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "This Sesshoumaru begs to differ, you could _try_ , but you would never succeed in your attempt."

Kagome crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared daggers at his graciously moving back.

"Ooooh, you are so full of yourself! I can't believe I was complimenting you just a few seconds ago!"

Huffing, she turned her attention to the passing trees. Glaring at them in Sesshoumaru's stead while mumbling curses under her breath which sounded suspiciously like _stupid, arrogant demons_.

She never noticed the small victorious smirk that appeared on Sesshoumaru's lips for a second.

Kagome was so deep in thought with all the curses she could come up with for the arrogant daiyoukai, that she didn't notice a loose branch in her way. She stumbled over it and fell towards the floor. Shrieking, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but it never came.

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again and stared at the dirty forest floor to her feet. Blinking, she glanced to the side, where she was met with the amused golden orbs of Sesshoumaru. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

Suddenly, she also realized that there was a weight on her hip, where the arm that had caught her fall was still lingering.

Embarrassed, Kagome flushed and pushed away from him clumsily.

"You would do well to keep your eyes in front of you, Kagome," he reprimanded her with a slightly mocking undertone in his voice.

"Yeah… thanks." She bit out between clenched teeth. "Sorry for not being a graceful youkai."

"Hn."

Sesshoumaru turned and resumed his walk. "It is indeed regrettable."

"Hey!", Kagome yelled and ran to keep up with him. She watched him from the corner of her eyes and noticed a satisfied and, dare she say, _amused_ smirk plastered on his face.

She frowned.

"Was this actually supposed to be a joke? If it was, I'll let you know that it wasn't funny."

Sesshoumaru glanced thoughtfully at her.

"Only because you fail to see the amusement behind it, miko."

"Only because you have a strange sense of amusement."

Kagome turned fully and watched his smirk in disbelieve.

 _He was serious._

And there she had thought Sesshoumaru wouldn't know what amusement was.

The secret was lifted.

To him amusement was getting onto other peoples' nerves. It was a strange sense of amusement, but amusement nonetheless.

Maybe no one ever understood his sense of amusement because everyone normally cowered in fear in front of the mighty daiyoukai?

She pictured Sesshoumaru trying to humor himself with some remarks, which resulted in scared people running for their dear lives, leaving behind a misunderstood Sesshoumaru with a sour expression and a foul mood.

Kagome giggled.

 _Yes_ , she thought. _That's probably the way it goes._

She ignored the eyebrow that raised in question at her sudden amusement and they resumed their journey in comfortable silence.

It had been like this for the last few days. Either they had spent their time in companionable silence or they were bickering over unimportant things.

Kagome had already wondered if he took some kind of amusement from her annoyance, but now that her suspicions have been confirmed, she really wished that she could fry him with her reiki. Only a tiny little bit as to push down his ego, even if only slightly.

She would keep that in mind, just in case.

He could be so annoying, really pissing her off with his attitude sometimes, but then he was being all kind and considerate again and she forgot her previous anger at him.

She watched as his smooth silver hair swayed with every step that he took and got entranced by this continuous movement.

She considered his behavior.

What did she really know about him?

Not much it seemed. Whenever she thought she had figured him out, he surprised her with a new side.

At first, he was a cold-blooded monster, trying to steal Inu Yasha's Tessaiga. Then the little girl appeared at his side, Rin, a proof that even Sesshoumaru had a heart and was capable of showing compassion. Then her view of him changed again, nearing the end of their shard hunt. The enemy became an ally, but still she thought him to be mostly emotionless and stoic.

Then again, there were the times when he visited Rin. He never talked much and though it was Rin he came to visit, he never seemed to mind her presence when the girl insisted she stayed to help her pick flowers for her Sesshoumaru-sama.

Usually, he would sit under a tree, his arm resting on one knee with his eyes closed, but sometimes, when she sneaked a glance at the regal daiyoukai, she caught him staring at them. An unknown emotion swirling in his eyes, so intense that she could feel her heart clench.

Now as they were travelling together, she also learned a new side of him.

He seemed to enjoy making other peoples' lives miserable.

She sighed. How many more of his traits would she get to know?

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"Ne, Sesshoumaru, how much longer until we arrive at this temple Kaede-baa-san spoke of?"

Sesshoumaru glanced to his right, were the soft voice of the miko came from. She looked up at him. A childish, impatient curiosity reflected in her huge blue eyes.

The sun was up high, signaling that it was around noon. He noticed that she already started to show first signs of exhaustion, so he already looked for a cool shelter.

It was an unforgivingly hot day. The sun was glowing mercilessly down at them. Kagome had already rolled up her long sleeves, in hopes of catching some cool breeze that would cool down her overheated skin. Even though he was a youkai and mostly unaffected by the heat, he also started so feel its effect on him. He smelled the air and scented a cool stream nearby. This was the perfect spot to wait out the midday heat.

"We should reach the Southern Lands within the next day. There we will start looking for it. For now, we should rest. There is a stream nearby, this is where we will rest."

A gleeful squeal escaped her throat while she clapped her hands together in anticipation, flashing him a bright smile.

"Thank god! I was already about to melt in this heat!"

Sesshoumaru flashed her a dubious glance.

"This one assures you, miko. It is not possible for you to melt from something as trivial as the sun."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him while continuing in the direction Sesshoumaru pointed out to her.

"It was just a metaphor! No need to be so picky about it. And just for your information: It _isv_ possible for you to melt from the sun. If you are near enough. But we could never get near enough, at least not in this time, not even in mine. Not now, that is. So, in that case you make sense."

Sesshoumaru frowned deep in puzzlement. He had made a simple comment, had stated a fact. And again, he found himself unable to follow the miko's line of thought. Sometimes, she drifted off topic and it was hard to grasp her meaning. Even more so when she mentioned things from her time.

He wasn't even sure if she was always able to follow her own thoughts. So, he just let it slide.

He didn't know anything about her origins, apart from the fact, that she was born 500 years into the future. And even though it was quite intriguing, it still wasn't much.

When they reached a small clearing where a small, cold stream crossed their path, Kagome quickly slipped out of her sandals and socks when she found a stone at the bank to sit upon and sighed in relief when the cool water hit her feet.

"This feels like heaven!", she exclaimed happily, closing her eyes and enjoying the sun on her face.

Sesshoumaru sat in the shadow under a tree, leaning against its trunk and resting his elbow on his right knee.

He watched the miko.

She was a curious creature. So different from all the people he met so far, human and demon alike. He had always been curious about her origins and now as the occasion presented itself, he simply _had_ to ask.

"What is the future like?"

Kagome opened her eyes and turned to look at him. She pondered his request for a moment but didn't see any danger in answering a few questions. She had also told other people.

"What do you want to know?", she finally asked, returning her focus to the flowing, cold water at her feet.

Sesshoumaru raised his gaze to the sky and thought about her question. What _did_ he want to know?

"What has changed? What is different from what we are used to?"

He glared at Kagome as she laughed at his question.

After calming down, she flashed him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I wasn't laughing at you. I was just expecting a different question. I don't even know where to start. Everything has changed. Everything is different."

Sesshoumaru grew a little annoyed when she didn't continue.

"Elaborate."

She focused on small fish that curiously swam around her toes and pondered on her answer.

"Let me see… Well, the biggest difference is technology."

"Tech-no-lo-gy?", Sesshoumaru carefully tried the word.

Kagome nodded.

"Yes, technology. Stuff that we invented over time. It changed our whole lives and our view on the world. We can travel much faster. We have cars, that drive us wherever we want. They are quite fast. With a car we would need less than a day for our journey. We have airplanes, which fly through the air and transport people all over the world in hours."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly.

"Hours?", he asked, unsure if he understood her correctly. It seemed impossible. It was faster than what even he was capable of.

"Yes, hours. Incredible, isn't it?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and focused on the fluffy clouds that quickly moved over the sky.

Kagome smiled at him and also raised her gaze to the sky.

"Science helped us to understand the rules of nature. With this knowledge, we were able to invent things that make our everyday lives much more comfortable. Our medicine is also much more developed. Thanks to this, people live longer lives."

This future she described sounded unthinkably easy. Yet, she sounded almost sad while revealing to him all these great advances. He watched her expression as she got lost in her thoughts.

"This Sesshoumaru believes such a live to be indeed very convenient. Yet, you returned to this place. Why?"

Kagome sighed.

"There is always a bad side to everything. We have much stronger weapons that make wars much more destructive than simply killing. All this vehicles that we use for transportation pollute the air. It no longer smells so fresh as it does here. We build huge cities which are inhabited by millions of people. There is not much nature left anymore. People think they are the sole rulers of everything, they don't care if they destroy our planet. Technology is indeed very convenient, and I _do_ miss some comforts of my time. This place may be simple, but it is much more beautiful."

Silence followed her revelation and Sesshoumaru pondered on her words, trying to process everything she had told him.

"What of your family, miko?" He could not think how she could leave her relatives behind, when people that she considered close seemed to be so dear to her that she was even willing to risk her life.

A sad smile appeared on her face.

"I do miss them. _Badly._ But even though I know they miss me too, I know that they are fine. And I will be fine, too. I have Inu Yasha, I have my friends."

She turned to look at him, a genuine smile on her face.

"And I have _you."_

Breath caught in his throat, Sesshoumaru found himself unable to look away from the miko. A slight breeze played with her hair, moving it mesmerizingly around her face. Her smile was as radiant as the sun and her blue eyes sparkled like deep, blue sapphires.

Warmth filled his chest as time seemed to slow for him in that moment.

Never in his life had he seen anything as beautiful as the miko, when she smiled so genuinely solely for him.

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They continued on their way in companionable silence, Kagome smiling brightly and enjoying the warmth. Sesshoumaru walked right next to her, keeping a pace she could hold up with ease.

From time to time, she caught him stealing glances her way.

Thinking that he was still trying to process the knowledge about the future that she had revealed to him, she smiled reassuringly at him whenever their gazes locked.

Unbeknownst to Kagome, Sesshoumaru had different issues.

He tried to comprehend the enigma that she was. But whenever he thought he got closer to solving the riddle that she presented to him, he learned another side of hers. It seemed his questions where never ending at his curiosity still wasn't satisfied.

It was kind of annoying.

But more annoying was the fact, that he didn't really understand why he even bothered.

She was a respected and trusted ally. Anything else shouldn't matter.

Yet, he couldn't help but wonder how much more there was to the miko. He had always found her presence quite tolerable and less annoying than the company of many other beings he had the displeasure to meet.

She was also quite entertaining. In her presence he felt at peace.

Peace was not something he was accustomed to. He was a Lord and as such, he had been introduced to war and politics at a very young age.

To him, peace was only short lived and not something to enjoy. He was taught by his father to use this time to focus on his next conquest. To him, peace was a time without physical battles, but the scheming never stopped.

Yet, the peace he felt with the miko was different. It made him calm, made him forget everything around him. In that moment, when she told him about her family, almost counting _him_ to her closest persons in this time period, he felt something inside of him stir. It made him feel warm inside and left him _yearning_.

But he could not name what it was that he yearned for. He had already everything. He had power, strength and land. What did he forget, what could he still need?

Lost in his thoughts, Sesshoumaru didn't realize that the sun already began to set. The last warm rays of sunshine covered the forest around them, adding an orange hue to everything.

Once more, his gaze returned to the miko.

A small smile was on her lips and her gaze focused somewhere far in the distance. She appeared quite content, but her slightly slumped shoulders reflected her worn out state.

They would need to rest again, soon.

"Miko, we should retire for the evening. Follow this path, then you will reach a lake. Prepare a fire and wash yourself, this one will return shortly with food provisions."

Relieved about the prospect of a nice bath, Kagome nodded at him and watched him disappear in the shadows of the trees before continuing on her path.

On her way, she already gathered some dry wood for the fire. It didn't take her long to reach the water.

Kagome dropped the wood and eagerly sprinted toward the small, peaceful lake.

Kneeling on her knees, Kagome cupped some water into her palms and brought it to her lips, enjoying the feeling, when the cool and fresh liquid went down her throat. She cupped some more water to quickly splash her face and stared into her reflection on the water surface.

Tomorrow they would reach the southern lands and she wondered, how they would go about finding the temple of the Order of Hikari.

 _The Order of Light._

That indeed sounded like a bunch of holy people. She also wondered how they would react to a miko and a youkai, travelling together. The hate between human kind and youkai was still very present.

No matter how often she tried to convince people otherwise, only rarely did anybody change their mind.

In Edo, people respected Inu Yasha and Shippou, for they did a lot to protect the village. They were treated kindly and were an active part of the village life. But when it came to the mingling of the races, not everyone was so tolerant. Nobody had the courage to speak their true mind, but Kagome wasn't stupid.

She knew what their looks meant.

Sometimes, she overheard them whispering about her and Inu Yasha.

A miko and a hanyou. So outrageous and absolutely against nature.

Kagome's heart ached whenever she was unfortunate enough to catch on their hushed gossip. Every word felt like a small needle thrust into her heart. Slowly shattering every hope of a truly tolerant society.

They were always shocked when they noticed Kagome near, afraid that she could have overheard their conversation, but she would always put on her best fake-smile and pretend to not have heard anything.

They were afraid to anger their miko, for even though they did not approve of her choice of mate, they still felt great respect and a deep gratitude toward her and Inu Yasha.

Of course, there were also people who were truly happy for them, but they were only a few and mostly among the children.

They were still young and uncorrupted by the views of other people.

She only hoped that she could change at least something with her being here, in the past. Maybe, only maybe, she could change the future and contribute at least something to peace between human and youkai before one race got extinct.

If one could even change the future, that is, but she had to at least try.

Kagome sighed deeply.

She undressed quickly and waded waist-deep into the water, hissing slightly at the feel of the cool water against her heated skin. She hurried with her bath. Sesshoumaru was never gone for longer than half an hour while hunting for their dinner. And even though he never intruded on her privacy, she didn't want him to accidentally catch a good glimpse of her while bathing or keep him waiting. He was always so patient with everything, but even his patience had to end somewhere.

After finishing her bath, she dressed quickly, letting her still damp hair fall on her back, where it soaked her haori top and proceeded to start a fire. After it started to burn, she sat down cross-ledged in front of it and watched the flames dance.

She relaxed and waited for Sesshoumaru's return.

Until she felt _it_.

A strong and unknown demonic presence, and it was heading straight in her direction.

Sudden fear gripped her, Sesshoumaru was still nowhere in sight.

Quickly, she grabbed her bow and notched an arrow with practiced ease, pointing it in the direction, where she felt the strong youki come from.

It was here.

Her muscles tensed, ready to shoot her arrow at the intruder, should the need arise. She felt her reiki stir at the closeness to this strong and unknown aura, it rose to the surface adding a slightly tingling sensation to her skin.

She breathed heavily, preparing herself for the worst-case scenario, and waited for the intruder to make an appearance or, and she _really_ hoped that this was the case, just pass her.

She waited.

And waited.

But _nothing._

The presence was still there, watching her and pushing at her own aura in a mocking way.

"Come out and state your business, I know that you are there", Kagome finally spoke evenly, mentally praising herself for not sounding terrified.

Cold laughter filled the clearing, making the hairs on Kagome's arm stand on end in tension.

The grip on her bow tightened.

She heard the rustling of leaves and then, slowly, a figure appeared between the trees. At first, she only saw a shadow, but then the demon came into her view, a wicked grin on his lips.

Kagome gasped.

Even though all her senses screamed at her to run, she couldn't help but stand rooted in her spot and stare at the dangerous intruder.

He was exotic. And _gorgeous_.

His hair was ruby-red and just barely touched his shoulders. His right, pointed ear was pierced with seven gold earrings. Light green eyes narrowed dangerously at her while his smirk never faltered. He was clad in a turquoise haori and white hakama, which was tied with a violet obi. Above his haori, he wore armor with spikes on both shoulders.

He laughed again, darkly.

"My, my, what do we have here?"

His deep, velvet voice returned her to her senses. The way he looked at her sent a cold shiver down her sine, her fear returning.

She gulped, but met his eyes unwaveringly.

"Who are you?"

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Sesshoumaru whipped his claws free of the deer's blood and watched his quick, perfect kill.

He had taken his time chasing the frightened deer, enjoying the rush of adrenaline at the hunt. He was a predator and hunting was something he greatly enjoyed. It also helped him to clear his mind off the miko and her stupid smile, which haunted him throughout the day.

At the thought of it, the memories returned and wouldn't leave him again.

Sesshoumaru groaned.

If he didn't know the miko any better, he would have thought that she had cast some kind of spell on him, but he knew that this was not the case. He watched his fallen prey laying to his feet. It held enough meat to feed them both. Another kill just to relieve his mind would be a waste. Trying to push down the image of the miko, he grabbed the deer and headed back to where he left her. He had to return, he had left her alone for long enough.

He had promised to protect her and had no intention to deal with his reckless half-brother if any harm came to the miko while in his care. He never noticed how his hands clenched at the thought of the hanyou, claws digging into his palms and drawing blood.

He stopped when he felt a strong demonic presence nearing the miko and sniffed the air.

The deer fell to his feet as he disappeared in a rush.

His surroundings turned into a blur as he rushed to the miko with his demonic speed. He needed to get to her as soon as possible. In his haste he didn't even bother to ponder on the dread that filled his chest at the thought that something might happen to the miko.

He needed reach her as soon as possible, for the presence he smelled belonged to no other than the cat youkai.

He was strong and though the miko was quite powerful, her skills were not trained enough to stand a chance against such an opponent. His eyes narrowed as he increased his speed, going faster than he thought possible.

 _Hold out as long as possible miko, this Sesshoumaru did not forget his promise._


	4. Chapter 4 - Emerging from the Shadows

Hi everyone^.^!

I'm terribly sorry for the long wait, but unfortunately real live kept getting in the way. First the holidays, and later a health matter within my family with a following funeral had me quite occupied and distressed. Honestly, I didn't feel like writing at some point. But don't worry, I will continue this story! Just needed some time to calm down. Thank you so much for all your support. Your reviews and PM's kept me going. They really are a huge source of inspiration and definitely make my day. Thank you also so much for pointing out some mistakes and thus helping to improve this story. At some point one becomes blind to all the errors. And least I feel this way. I have corrected the mistakes in the previous chapters (or at least the ones that I found).

Now, enough of my talk, you have waited long enough. I hope the length of this chapter makes the long wait at least a little bit up to you.

Enjoy! And always feel free to leave a review:)

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 **CHAPTER 4 - Emerging from the Shadows**

Blue eyes narrowed at the intruder, the tip of Kagome's arrow pointed at his heart. His grin never faltered, green eyes glowering dangerously at her. He was mocking her, of that she was sure. She asked again.

"Who _are_ you and what do you want?"

The sound of dark chuckling reached her ears. He took a few steps towards her, grinning wickedly. For every step he took towards her, she took one back. Trying desperately to keep the distance between them without showing her inner panic at his closeness.

"My, aren't we feisty?", he grinned and halted in his step, leaving Kagome some space.

"I am called Takaru, and what, little priestess, might be your name?", he asked raising an eyebrow at her and smirked, showing the tip of a fang.

Despite her previous anxiety, Kagome felt heat raise up to her cheeks, where a small blush appeared. Unconsciously, she shook her head, as if trying to clear her mind.

What the hell was suddenly wrong with her? There was a dangerous youkai in front of her and all she managed to do was blushing? Seriously, something was not right. _Okay_ , she had to admit. _He was really good-looking, but she had met more than a few beautiful youkai so far, so what the hell was her problem?_

Without noticing it, she took a step toward this mysterious demon, the aim of her arrow dropping.

"Kagome… My name is Kagome", she whispered.

His grin deepened.

"Kagome…", he repeated. "What a beautiful name for such a beautiful creature."

Kagome frowned. Something was terribly off, she felt so light-headed and careless all of the sudden. She tried desperately to collect her thoughts and do _something_.

As if sensing her inner turmoil, the male in front her held out his hand to her, as if waiting for her to take it.

"Come to me Kagome, don't be afraid. I won't bite… much"

Kagome felt as if in a trance. Her mind became even more clouded, while she slowly took another step in his direction. And another. And another.

She was hesitant, but she didn't know why anymore. He looked so inviting with that mysterious gleam in his eyes. Somewhere in the back of her head was a muffled voice, screaming at her to run and to not trust this stranger. Everything in her mind screamed danger at her, but she found herself still approaching him, painfully slow.

There was another voice in her head. A deep, husky voice. And it sounded so inviting.

 _Come._

She felt a strong pull toward this strange demon.

Only three steps separated them now, if she took just one more step, she would be able to touch his hand with hers.

Her arm reached for him while her feet prepared for the last step.

His smirk widened, something dangerous flashing in his eyes.

The faint voice in the back of her head grew stronger.

 _Stop! No more! Danger! RUN!_

Her skin tingled slightly as her powers rose unconsciously to the surface. She started to emit a faint pink glow. A small spark of her sizzling reiki slashed at the hand of the intruder, now only mere inched away from her. He hissed at this burning sensation and retracted his hand, glowering dangerously at her.

As if a spell had been lifted, her mind cleared in an instant and she quickly took a few steps back, raising her bow again and pointing the tip of her arrow straight at his head.

"What the hell was that?", she spat, slightly panicked at her own slip of control for a moment.

His grin disappeared only to be replaced by a cold and calculating look. His eyes narrowed dangerously at her, his look promising pain.

"I see. You seem to be immune to my magic. It is of no consequence, for I will get what I desire. Whether with or without your consent is up to you, priestess."

Breath hitched in her throat and she gripped her bow tighter. Waiting for him to make a move.

But he didn't. He waited patiently, regarding her carefully.

"And what is it that you want?", she asked after a pause.

His smirk returned while he raised his hands as if in defeat.

"All I want is information, Kagome. I do not intent to harm you, as long as you cooperate."

She felt her mind starting to get foggy again.

 _No,_ she thought. _Not again._

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

 _Get out of my mind, already!_

The slight tingling on her skin return as her miko powers rose to the surface on their own accord once more.

Collecting herself again, she breathed in deeply and glowered at the demon in front of her.

"Just what kind of trick is this? Stop messing with my mind already!"

Slowly, he inched closer, like a predator stalking his pray.

"Too bad. It would have made things easier, but it was worth another try."

Kagome shouted at him to not come any closer, but he failed to follow her request. Sensing the danger coming from him, she warned him one last time before releasing her arrow in his direction. He was fast and quickly got out of its way, coming to a stop a few feet away and focusing on the burned mark on a tree, where the arrow hit its target and imbedded itself deep into the hard wood.

He grinned.

"Quite impressive, miko. That could have stung badly. How lucky for me that I am fast enough. Now", he said before suddenly appearing directly in front of her and gripping her bow tightly, dragging it out of her startled hands and dissolving it with poison, right in front of her very eyes.

"Now, we don't want anyone to get hurt. This is a dangerous toy, little priestess."

Kagome quickly came out of her stupor and took a few steps back.

He was so quick, she didn't realize he had moved at all until she watched her only weapon being turned to dust just mere inched from her face. She had to be more careful.

She raised her hands, palms facing the enemy, and tried to call upon her miko powers, but nothing happened.

 _Oh no, not again! Please! Not now! Listen just this once, please!_

Still, nothing happened, and Kagome found herself now really panicking.

Dark laughter reached her ears.

"How convenient. A miko that cannot fully control her powers. How lucky for me."

In another blink of an eye she found herself looking down at the demon, feet dangling a few inches over the forest ground. Kagome tried to scratch at the strong arm, that was holding her up by her throat, cutting off her air supply. Desperately, she scratched at his arm, trying to draw blood while gasping for air, but his grip on her didn't lessen. After a few seconds stars and dark spots blended into her vision.

"Now, tell me, before I end your miserable existence. What is the dog up to? Why does he bring the likes of _you_ with him? What purpose do you serve, human?"

With her lack of air, his voice sounded muffled and very far away. She kept on gasping for breath, trying to say at least _something_ , but she couldn't find the strength anymore. Her vision slowly began to fade, narrowing and demanding green eyes were the last thing she saw before the darkness took over and she felt a sudden ache at the back of her head.

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Wincing at the sharp pain in her head, her eyelashes fluttered before she slowly opened her eyes again. Her vision was blurred. All she saw were flashes of silver and red, accompanied by loud clashes of metal against metal and the roar of fight.

Slowly, she sat up, gripping the back of her head at the sudden, intense pain. She tried to focus on the scene that unfolded in front of her and after a few seconds her vision cleared.

Relieve filled her at the sight.

"Sesshoumaru…", she breathed his name in alleviation.

At the utterance of his name, he stole a quick glance at her over his shoulder, before focusing again on the demon in front of him and blocking his next attack with Bakusaiga.

The demon, Takaru, jumped several feet into the air. The tip of his sword reflecting the light of the setting sun, before pointing it at Sesshoumaru and coming down at him full force. Sesshoumaru placed his feet firmly on the solid ground, eyes never leaving his opponent while preparing to block his blow.

The swords clashed with a loud clang of metal.

Both combatants were putting all their force into their blow, trying to push the other away.

A wicked grin appeared on Takaru's face, while he tried to stare Sesshoumaru down.

"I see you have already licked your wounds, mutt."

Sesshoumaru's gaze hardened.

"You overestimate your effect on this Sesshoumaru, feline. A grave mistake you will soon learn to regret."

With a slight turn to his right, Sesshoumaru freed his sword and prepared to cut off his opponent's head. Takaru ducked just in time and jumped back, resuming his fighting stance and preparing his next move when Sesshoumaru charged another attack at him. A powerfull wave of youki heading straight at the surprised Takaru.

Eyes widening slightly, the cat youkai stared rooted in his spot at the strong energy attack that was sent his way. In the last second, he came out of his stupor and jumped out of harm's way, missing the enormous attack only by mere inches.

He exhaled visibly and flashed Sesshoumaru a deadly glare.

"What kind of dirty trick was that? I thought using power that is not your own is beneath you, _Lord_ Sesshoumaru", he spat the word Lord with visible distaste.

A self-confident smirk appeared on Sesshoumaru's face.

"You underestimated this Sesshoumaru's power. This power is my own. And now", he continued, pointing the tip of his sword at Takaru and charging another attack.

"Prepare to die".

The earth vibrated from the sheer force of the fight.

The feline managed to block all of Sesshoumaru's attacks, which was getting harder and harder with every strong slash of Sesshoumaru's sword. He gritted his teeth, showing fangs and eyes beginning to glow red.

 _He must not lose to this mutt._

With a load roar that echoed through the forest, he freed himself of Sesshoumaru's continuous attacks by releasing a strong pulse of his youki and leapt high into the air.

Panting, he created a red shield of pure energy just in time to save him from another of Sesshoumaru's attacks and glowered at his opponent from above.

A deadly smirk appeared on Sesshoumaru's lips while snorting in disgust.

"Resuming to your dirty tricks again? How pathetic."

An angry snarl escaped the cat youkais throat, eyes bleeding ruby-red.

"You… You know _nothing!_ You dirty dogs do nothing! I am Takaru, son of the great and terrible Dairan. _True_ Lord of the Northern Lands.

I hate you! Our lands were allies and yet, you and your father did _nothing_ when the dragons attacked my lands and ruthlessly slaughtered my people. You will pay for your betrayal! I will kill you and reclaim not only my lands but yours as well. And then you will know what it is like to lose _everything_."

The grip on his sword tightened, intent on striking Sesshoumaru down once and for all with his next blow.

But before he could resume his attack, a small but sharp stone hit the side of his head. The red disappeared from his eyes and both youkai turned in complete disbelieve to the edge of clearing they were fighting in.

There stood a very fuming miko, glaring daggers at both of them.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched in bewilderment and annoyance.

"Miko, did you just throw a stone at our opponent…?"

Kagome huffed in irritation and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah, so what? You two were so at it that you completely ignored me! And he destroyed my bow, so what was I supposed to do? I'm still here you know, and I'm so tired of watching you both fight over _nothing_."

"Nothing? _Nothing?_ ", came the furious growl of Takaru who was still floating in the air within his shield.

"How _dare_ you call my loss _nothing_!"

His fingers twitched, prepared to slash at the priestess for her insolence.

"I didn't call your loss nothing. But really, it was so long ago. Can't you just get over with it and reclaim your lands without attacking us? Men and their big ego. All you ever do is fight! Killing other people won't help anything!"

Takaru blinked at her a few times, trying to grasp her reasoning.

"Humans… you don't understand a thing."

Suddenly, as if an idea just struck him, he grinned in victory.

"It is of no consequence, you will die. I underestimated you but rest assured that your end is near. I will leave, _for now._ "

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed warningly at his opponent. The grip around his sword tightened painfully, preparing for another attack.

"You will not leave!"

The smirk on Takaru's lips grew even brighter as a thick cloud of youki appeared, engulfing him completely. Wicked laughter set the hairs on Kagome's arms on end.

"We shall see", was his amused response, his hollow voice echoing through the clearing, followed by mad laughter. Sesshoumaru released his attack but the blinding energy hit only the remains of the fog.

When the fog cleared, the cat youkai was already gone.

How dare he just leave during their fight, _again._

Rage filled Sesshoumaru. He clenched his fists while his blood began to boil. For a moment his eyes bled red, before returning to their cool amber shade.

His gaze travelled to the stunned Kagome.

He was unsure whether he should be relieved that she was still in one peace after her insolence or if he should just kill her himself for interfering in his fight. Or maybe he should just laugh at her complete foolishness.

Sesshoumaru decided that these were all reasonable options.

Slowly, like a dangerous predator, he stalked toward his pray, eyes glowering dangerously at her.

"Woman," he started, voice dark with malice "you let the enemy escape."

Kagome gulped before grinning sheepishly at him, slightly nervous. For Sesshoumaru to call her woman again, he had to be _really_ pissed.

"Uhm…. Sorry?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing, only continued to regard her coolly. His sharp claws twitching slightly in annoyance, which didn't go unnoticed by Kagome. She gulped again.

"Look, it wasn't my intention! I was so just so angry and had no weapon left! He pulverized my bow and almost killed me! _And_ he constantly tried to put me under some stupid spell and messed with my mind. I… I just wanted to get even."

Sesshoumaru's hand relaxed and corner of his lips twitched upwards for the split second, but he kept her in place with his icy stare.

"And thus, you concluded that it is wise to throw a stone at your enemy…?"

Kagome shuddered, suddenly feeling very, _very_ stupid.

"Well… yeah… uhm… I guess I didn't think it through 'till the end…", she stuttered lowering her gaze to the ground, cheeks flashing in embarrassment and regret.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault he escaped. You could have ended it right here and now and I messed up everything."

Tears collected in her eyes, blurring her view while she just now realized her stupidity.

This could have been over. She could have returned home. To her friends, to _Inu Yasha._ But she just had to mess everything up. Why couldn't she just think for once? And now she made Sesshoumaru _really_ angry with her. Just when they started something akin to friendship.

Kagome sniffed and Sesshoumaru's gaze softened slightly.

"Kagome."

Kagome stiffened visibly at the mention of her name. Eyes shut closely, prepared for any kind of punishment.

"Kagome, look at me", Sesshoumaru repeated.

She raised her tear-filled gaze to meet his unforgiving one and gasped at the gentle intensity of his amber pool that stared right into her soul.

"What is done is done. This Sesshoumaru forgives you."

With just that he turned and started to walk away, leaving a stunned and speechless Kagome behind.

After blinking a few times Kagome came out of her stupor and ran toward him, grabbing the long sleeve of his haori tightly to halt his retreat.

Sesshoumaru stopped immediately and let his piercing gaze travel from the spot where her fingers fisted themselves in the heavy cloth to her sparkling blue eyes. Her gaze was tender and soft as she spoke to him.

"I haven't even thanked you for saving me. So, thank you, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru nodded at her while his gaze locked with hers.

"Hn. This Sesshoumaru is known for many things, but not for breaking his promises. This one promised to protect you."

Kagome sighed.

 _There goes the all-high-and-mighty Sesshoumaru again._

Kagome gasped when suddenly his claw-tipped fingers grasped her chin gently, pulling her face up to the side.

Breath caught in her throat when his claws gently traced a feather-soft line along her long and slender neck, adding goose bumps to her skin and setting it slightly on fire. When he reached a sore spot, she winced.

"Yet this Sesshoumaru has failed you. You are not unharmed", he whispered softly, eyes fixed on the fresh blue bruises where Takaru had grabbed her roughly.

Ignoring her fluttering heart, Kagome's gaze travelled to meet his burning one. Slowly, she let go of his long sleeve and placed her hand gently on his wrist, covering his magenta stripes.

"It is not your fault Sesshoumaru. You cannot protect me from everything. I should have managed better on my own, but my powers did not obey me. You came and saved me. Thanks to you, I am still alive."

Sesshoumaru nodded absent-minded.

Reluctantly, he released his hold on her and distanced himself slightly.

"What now?", Kagome wondered after a short pause, where neither said a word.

Sesshoumaru raised his gaze to the sky, contemplating her question.

"We follow the plan and find the Order of Hikari. Then we shall see."

Kagome nodded and blushed in embarrassment when suddenly her stomach growled loudly.

"Uhm, did you by the way happen to catch something for dinner, before this Takaru appeared and tried to show off?"

Sesshoumaru raised an amused eyebrow at her.

"Hn. Come."

Relieved, that everything was back to normal again and that Sesshoumaru wasn't angry with her anymore a smile rose to her face, brightening her eyes.

"Sure."

Sesshoumaru motioned for her to follow and without hesitation and still emitting a radiant smile Kagome followed, feeling that somehow their friendship had deepened through their encounter with the cat youkai.

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Kagome was in a very bad mood the next morning. Nothing, absolutely _nothing_ was going her way and she didn't like. _Not a bit._

Sleep eluded her the last night. Even though everything turned out just fine in the end, Kagome couldn't help but feel restless, tossing from side to side in a desperate attempt to fall asleep. Sesshoumaru said nothing, though she caught him staring contemplating glances her way throughout the night. Her mind just couldn't stop worrying.

What was it about her powers that sometimes she was able use them to their full extent and then again when she really needed them, they would just lay dormant, ignoring all her concentration and pleas. What also worried her was the loss of her only weapon. She wasn't a swordsman, the only weapon she was able to use was her bow, which was now only fine dust, already carried away by the wind. She had never been of much use to Sesshoumaru from the beginning, but she had at least her bow. Now, she was completely useless and depending on him to save her sorry ass.

Annoyed, Kagome kicked away a stone that was lying in front of her, just begging to be used by her to release some pent-up frustrations.

A few feet to her right, Sesshoumaru sighed, putting the skinned rabbit he had caught for breakfast on a stick to roast above the fire. His questioning gaze lingered on the fuming miko.

"What ails you, Kagome?"

"Nothing", she stated a bit too roughly, kicking away another stone. This one happened to be sharp.

Wincing in pain, she sat down on the rough forest ground and held her sore toe.

"Is _nothing_ the reason why keep mumbling incoherent curses and needlessly hurt yourself?", Sesshoumaru asked, eyes narrowed in disbelieve.

Kagome sent him an annoyed glare.

"Yes! So sorry I'm hurting myself and being even more of a bother", she snapped bitterly.

Just leave it to the ever curious daiyoukai to make her feel even more miserable.

Slightly annoyed and also a bit concerned, Sesshoumaru let her offense slip this time and concentrated on the dancing flames of the fire in front of him. The smell of roasted meet and burned wood filling his nostrils.

After some time when the meat was done, he silently lowered himself right next to Kagome, keeping his gaze focused somewhere far away and presenting her the meat.

"Tell me what bothers you", he said after a while of silently eating his meal.

Kagome concentrated on chewing on her piece of rabbit. Due to her lack of appetite it seemed to be completely tasteless. It was like chewing on a chunk of very dry bread, drying out her already sore throat.

After some time, she gave up and placed the almost untouched meat on the ground in front of her.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru, for being such a nuisance. I guess I'm just angry at myself for being useless."

Sesshoumaru turned completely to her, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"It's just that I have no weapon and I don't understand my powers. _Technically_ , I know how to use them, and it works just fine on more than one occasion. But then there are times when I can't use them. _At all._ And then I'm the foolish little school girl again, waiting for someone to save me. I'm so _tired_ of it. I want to be able to protect myself. I can't always depend on others to save me. When my powers didn't work I always had at least my bow, but now, I have _nothing."_

Silence stretched between them as Sesshoumaru pondered on her words and Kagome returned to her state of self-pity.

Sesshoumaru regarded her closely, her scent emitting a heavy aura of hopelessness. Sesshoumaru winced inwardly, he could almost _taste_ her desperation so thick was the scent she emitted. He decided that he didn't like that scent on her, he preferred it when she had her happy, fresh floral scent.

"There is a solution to your situation", he stated after a while.

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, turning expectantly to him and waiting for his explanation.

"We will get you a new bow. Unfortunately, we cannot ask Toutousai to forge you one. It would take too much time, but perhaps the priests of the Order can be convinced to leave you a weapon."

Kagome couldn't help but smirk at his comment. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to picture Sesshoumaru _convincing_ someone to do his bids.

"Your powers are another problem", he added, slight wonder rang in his voice at this unforeseen predicament.

"Once you learn how to use them, you should be able to call upon them anytime. It is indeed very unusual. This Sesshoumaru has never heard of holy people or even demons who were only able to use their skills on occasion."

Kagome grimaced.

"Told you I was useless!"

On the outside Sesshoumaru kept his cool and ignorant appearance, but on the inside, he wanted to groan. It was his intention to bring her out of her self-pity and continue on his way without having to carry her if she continued to hurt herself in her stubborn and self-destructive state. Not giving her even more reasons to whine.

"This Sesshoumaru does not believe it to be your fault, Kagome. Perhaps the priests will also have an answer to that."

Kagome looked up at him and for the first time this morning, there was hope shining brightly in her eyes.

"You really think so?", she asked, eyes big as saucers.

"Hn."

A smile appeared on her lips and without another word, she resumed her breakfast, feeling a lot lighter than just a few minutes ago.

Sesshoumaru watched her from the corner of his eyes, her scent had promptly returned to its usual fresh scent.

Her spirits were definitely up again, and Sesshoumaru realized that also his tension seemed to be gone.

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Kagome was restless. They had reached the Southern Lands the same day, as precisely predicted by Sesshoumaru. They had arrived in the mountains in the northern part and had been looking for the temple. That was 3 days ago, and Kagome was about to give up. Not far and they would reach the sea, but there was still no clue to the exact location of the temple of the Order of Hikari.

Now thinking about it, she realized that maybe the information had been a little vast.

 _You will find them in the northern mountains of the Southern Lands,_ Kaede had said.

Following this information strictly, they had already crossed almost the whole mountains, but they were still clueless as to where to find them.

 _Well_ , she thought, _what did she expect? Signs placed all across the maintains saying "Order of Hikari that way"? Not likely._

Sighing, she watched Sesshoumaru from the corner of her eyes.

The regal daiyoukai walked next to her, eyes fixed upon a spot far away. He seemed calm and collected, as if this unforeseen delay in their journey did not bother him.

Upon noticing her stare, Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed to hers.

"What is it?"

Kagome sighed again.

"Nothing, just wondering if we're _ever_ going to find the order."

Sesshoumaru pondered on her question, his focus returning to the road ahead of them.

"This Sesshoumaru does agree, it is more trouble finding them than expected."

Kagome's gaze raised to the sky in contemplation.

"Can you not even smell anything that reeks of reiki or something?"

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow raised in slight amusement, his gaze returning to the miko.

"No, different from what you might think, reiki does not have a strong smell that this one would be able to detect. This Sesshoumaru can only _feel_ it when it is a threat. _You_ are the miko. _You_ should be the one that should be able to sense something."

Kagome grinned sheepishly.

"Well, sorry but I don't sense anything. It's almost as if they don't want to be found."

Kagome walked on, gaze focused on the ground.

Probably they really didn't want to be found. No one seemed to know their exact location and the people they had met on their way also didn't seem to know what she was even talking about. They hadn't been lying, Sesshoumaru would have been able to tell with his sense of smell. If they even had the courage to do so, considering how they had almost cowered in fear in front of Sesshoumaru.

Lost in her thoughts, Kagome didn't notice something in her way and walked right into it, face first.

"Ouch!"

Cursing under her breath, she rubbed her sore forehead, ready to glare at the stupid tree she thought was in her way.

Breath hitched in her throat, all pain forgotten when she stared at _nothing._

"What-", she whispered breathlessly.

Carefully, she outstretched her hand until she was met with a resistance.

Sesshoumaru frowned at her. She was aware that she must look really funny, holding her hand up in the air staring at nothing, but she could _feel_ it _._

The tell-tale hum of a powerful barrier just in front of her. Its magic tingling her skin, calling forth her own powers.

For a second, the barrier started to glow bright blue, before turning invisible again.

Sesshoumaru's eyes met Kagome's, widening a small fraction in surprise.

If he didn't sense it before, he could at least see it now, where her slender fingers brushed against the barrier.

Kagome removed her hands from the barrier and flashed Sesshoumaru a huge, self-satisfied grin.

"I think we found it at last."


	5. Chapter 5 - Hideki

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for your reviews and suggestions!

Here's the new chapter. It is only half of what I originally planned for it, but if I didn't put a cut here, it would have gotten waaay too long. But this is also a nice place to stop and that way you don't have to wait so long.

Enjoy! ^.^

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 **CHAPTER 5 – Hideki**

Cerulean blue eyes narrowed in concentration. Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to call upon her powers, the slight tingling to her skin a sign of her success for once. She placed her hands firmly on the invisible shield that separated her from the rest of the forest and pushed against the unresponsive barrier. Sparks of brilliant, blue light appeared under her palms. Kagome pushed harder with determination, intent on breaking it, but it was to no avail. Growling in irritation, she added even more force.

Just when she felt a flicker from the otherwise rigid barrier and mentally praised herself for her success, it released a powerful pulse of energy which sent her flying backwards.

Kagome landed ungraciously on her behind, several feet away.

Cursing under her breath, she raised her gaze to glare at the barrier. For a moment, it was visible again, shining in a bright blue color and humming with holy power, before disappearing again before her very eyes.

They had tried to pass the barrier for hours now but found no way around it. It was a huge sphere, protecting with much vigor what lay hidden inside of it.

Sesshoumaru, who had silently stood aside throughout Kagome's whole ordeal with the barrier, appeared in front of her, an amused smirk plastered on his face.

"Are you done now, miko?"

Kagome's glare wandered from the barrier to Sesshoumaru.

"No, I'm not. I know that I can do this"

Sesshoumaru sneered.

"Clearly, this Sesshoumaru can see that."

Kagome crossed her arms and growled in irritation. How she _hated_ his arrogant attitude.

"If you are so sure about it, then maybe you really should try it. I can't wait to see you fail, just for once."

His smirk widened, while he pulled Bakusaiga from its sheath with one swift movement, it's sharp blade pulsing with power.

"Do not get your hopes up, miko. This Sesshoumaru does not fail."

With just that, he turned and carefully approached the barrier, eyes narrowing in concentration. He may not be able to feel the barrier as Kagome could, but he had his demonic abilities. He focused on the seemingly empty space in front of him, waiting.

When his sharp eyes caught a distinct blur in the air, he knew where he had to attack it. With speed faster than a human's sight could follow, he leapt into the air, sword crushing down on the barrier with deadly precision.

In an instant, the whole barrier emitted a dazzling blue light. Sesshoumaru gripped his sword tighter and kept on pushing against the barrier, a look of pure concentration upon his face. Brilliant sparks of blue and violet flew between the barrier and Bakusaiga's blade.

The whole barrier seemed to vibrate, sending a powerful hum through the entire clearing, which made the hairs of Kagome's arms stand on edge. She gasped from the sheer size of the barrier, which seemed to consume almost the complete forest before them.

Sesshoumaru grit his teeth and added even more force to his destructive blow, engulfing the clearing in an even more blinding light, from which Kagome had to shield her eyes.

She felt the barrier waver and almost couldn't believe that Sesshoumaru was really about to succeed in destroying it, when suddenly, it emitted another powerful burst, much stronger than before.

Sesshoumaru was sent flying backwards, but other than Kagome, he landed graciously on his boot-clad feet, not a single hair out of place.

A deep rumble shook his chest when he growled dangerously, glaring at the shining and still intact barrier.

The growling stopped immediately when the sound of laughter reached his ears.

He turned his glare at Kagome, who was laughing whole-heartedly at his expanse.

"What, pray tell, is so amusing, miko?", he asked, eyebrows twitching in annoyance.

Upon noticing Sesshoumaru's murderous look, Kagome took deep breaths to calm herself and tried her best to act as nonchalant as possible.

"Don't give me that look, it serves you _so right_ to fail in something for once."

His claw-tipped fingers twitched at her comment.

"This Sesshoumaru did not fail."

The corner of Kagome's lips twitched with amusement before regarding him with what she hoped was an innocent look.

"No? Then why is this barrier still in place?"

Sesshoumaru had no answer to that and just kept silent, glaring daggers at her.

Kagome couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing again.

His blood boiling in outrage, he turned his back to her, trying to calm himself. Silently, he contemplated weather his promise to protect the miko from harm also included _him_ as a threat to her. Sometimes, it really would make things easier. He had to remind himself that he needed her for this task and that lashing out at her for her insolence would only hinder his plans.

"Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru. Just admit for once that not even _you_ are almighty."

Sesshoumaru ignored her comment and approached the barrier again. His steps were small and calculated, his gaze narrowing dangerously at the barrier as though the sheer murderous intent in his gaze could burn a whole into it.

"Let's just take a break and think about a different approach", Kagome called after him, but he ignored her completely.

Sesshoumaru leaped into the air and attacked the barrier again and again, but every attack he sent at the barrier either dissipated into thin air or was sent back at him together with a strong pulse of energy that always sent him flying backwards.

Meanwhile, Kagome had found herself a soft spot on the soft grass out of the danger zone and sat there cross-ledged, chin propped up against her palm and watched the scene in front of her with neglect.

After what seemed to her like the 100th attack, Sesshoumaru plunged his sword firmly into the ground. His feet were placed on the ground in a defensive stance while he held onto the sword steadily through another explosion from the barrier, feet digging into the soil from the force.

After the blast subsided, Kagome sighed and called out to him.

"It's ok, I won't hold it against you or believe you to be weak, so can we please sit down for a moment and discuss what we should do next?"

Sesshoumaru flashed her an angry look over his shoulder.

He was Sesshoumaru. The _Killing Perfection,_ Taiyoukai of the Western Lands and the most powerful demon to walk this earth after his great and terrible father. This barrier stood no chance against him.

 _This time it will break._

He raised Bakusaiga high into the air before bringing it down with one smooth and quick movement, followed by a loud roar while releasing a powerful blow of his youki.

Kagome's eyes widened in shock as the whole forest floor began to shake like during an earth quake from the sheer force of Sesshoumaru's powerful blow.

The barrier emitted a blinding light before it exploded, the blast sending Kagome flying back even on her safe spot.

Sesshoumaru grinned victoriously, one arm on Bakusaiga's hilt, which he used again to keep him in place while the angry winds of reiki and his youki danced around him.

After it subsided, Kagome stood up angrily and plucked leaves and sticks from her messy hair.

A shocked gasp escaped her throat when she noticed the level of destruction.

There, all around the barrier, where once had been a flourishing forest, only remains of burned and fallen tree trunks remained. The barrier vibrated and flickered for some time, seemingly about to finally break down when suddenly, it glowed brightly, filling the entire space with a blinding light.

After the light disappeared, the barrier was still in place.

Sesshoumaru's grin of victory turned into a frown of disbelieve.

Kagome cleared her throat to gain his attention.

"That… was kind of an overkill."

Sesshoumaru glared at her over his shoulder.

"Are you hurt?"

"Uhm… no I'm not", she answered after blinking at him in confusion.

Sesshoumaru returned his glare to the still humming barrier.

"Good, then stand back. This Sesshoumaru will do it again. It almost broke and now it is weakened."

Kagome's eyes widened a fraction.

" _No_ , don't do it! Look at what you have already done! This place is a complete _mess_ ", she interjected.

"This Sesshoumaru does not care, now, stand back."

He had raised his sword, ready to strike again at the barrier. Kagome ran at him, screaming for him to stop but it was another deep voice that halted him in his attack.

"Enough!"

Sesshoumaru and Kagome both stilled and looked in the direction where that unfamiliar voice came from.

Between the still smoking remains of burned trees stood a middle-aged man with a shaved head, clothed in an emerald-green, long robe. His dark eyes regarded them with disdain and the grip on his long, golden staff tightened.

"You do not seem to hail from this place. Who are you and why are you here? You come here and destroy these sacred lands. It is unforgivable."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at the priest.

"You will tell this Sesshoumaru how to pass this barrier."

When the priest did not follow his orders, Sesshoumaru approached him slowly, green poison appearing at the tip of his razor-sharp claws.

"This one will not repeat himself, priest."

The priest was not intimidated easily and took a defensive stance, holding his staff horizontally an arm's length away.

"As you wish", Sesshoumaru cracked his knuckles, ready to strike at the waiting priest with his poisonous whip, when suddenly, Kagome appeared in his way, her outstretched arms blocking his path.

"Please stop, Sesshoumaru. He is a priest, maybe he can help us. You can't just lash out at everyone that crosses your way. Please, let me handle this."

Ignoring Sesshoumaru's heated glare at her interference, she turned around to face the priest, head bowed low in apology.

"Please forgive us. My companion did not mean any harm. We only meant to cross this barrier. We are out on a quest, looking for the Order of Hikari. My name is Kagome and that-", she said, pointing in his direction "-is Sesshoumaru-sama, Lord of the Western Lands."

The priest lowered his staff, regarding her with curiosity.

"You are a miko", he asserted from her clothing, looking her up and down, "And yet, you keep a demon as your company. How unusual."

He smirked somewhat at her. Kagome blushed under his intense, assessing gaze, lowering her gaze to the ground.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at the priest.

"Well… yes. He is an ally…", she stuttered, not quite prepared for being the center of his intense, burning gaze.

"And kind of family", she added with more resolve after a short glance at her companion.

For a second, Sesshoumaru's gaze flashed to hers.

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed."

The monk laughed before turning serious again.

"How do you know of the Order? I hope that you are aware, child, that this barrier was placed here for a reason. Destroying these lands just to break it is unforgivable."

Kagome lowered her head in ruefulness.

"I know. Please accept our sincerest apologies. Sesshoumaru-sama is a powerful youkai and not used to thinking about the consequences of his actions, I am sure it was not his intention to destroy anything but the barrier."

She winced slightly when his clawed hands gripped her shoulder tightly, pulling her slightly back with force and pricking her sensitive skin with the tips of his deadly claws. She spared him a quick glance over her shoulder and met his icy stare with a glare of her own, telling him to keep quiet before continuing.

"We hail from the Western and Eastern Lands. My teacher, the miko Kaede from Edo, has mentioned the Order and where we could find it. Our lands are in grave danger and it is of utmost importance that we speak to the order. We need their help to find a sacred object."

The priest regarded her with a contemplating look before suddenly remembering something.

"You mentioned that your names are Kagome from Edo and Sesshoumaru from the Western Lands. Are you by any chance _the_ Kagome and Sesshoumaru? The Shikon Miko and the demon lord who freed the world from the evil hanyou Naraku that brought so much destruction?"

Kagome blushed and fumbled awkwardly with the hems of her haori, gaze dropping. She felt very self-conscious and humble. She would have never believed that her name would be known so far south.

"Well… yes, but we weren't the only ones that fought in that final battle. I was not aware that the people in the Southern Lands knew of Naraku."

The priest's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Rumors travel fast. You rendered a great service to everyone by ridding the world from that vile creature. We are not ignorant to what happens in the other lands."

He bowed his head in respect towards Kagome and Sesshoumaru.

"It is an honor to meet you two. My name is Hideki."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hideki-sama".

Kagome returned the bow in a show of respect while Sesshoumaru stood stoically behind her.

Hideki nodded in acknowledgment.

"What is this object you are seeking?"

Kagome looked over to Sesshoumaru, not sure what to say. His eyes narrowed slightly, silently telling her to not reveal to much information to the stranger.

"I mean no offense, Hideki-sama, but I believe it is a matter better discussed with the order."

The priest smirked at her.

"I _am_ from the Order of Hikari. I decide whether we grant you access. I am not inclined to do so after witnessing the degree of destruction you left by trying to forcefully gain entrance and without further information. I also mean no offense, Kagome-sama."

Kagome gulped and again turned to look at Sesshoumaru for assistance.

His gaze assessed the priest before travelling back to hers, simply nodding as a response.

"We seek a stone which, according to a legend, was forged by the gods. It is known as the _Tear of the Heavens._ "

Startled, Kagome winced slightly when the priest hushed her as soon as she mentioned the name of the stone. Frantically, he looked around, searching for someone who could have accidently overheard their conversation.

"I agree with you, Kagome-sama. It _is_ a matter better discussed inside the barrier."

"Does that mean you will grant us entrance?", she asked, hope reflecting in her gaze.

The look on Hideki's face hardened, looking between Kagome and Sesshoumaru before lingering on her.

"No, only _you."_

Silence fell upon the clearing and stretched between the three. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed in denial, while Kagome simply stared at the priest in disbelieve before both answered in unison.

"No."

The priest arched an eyebrow at them in slight amusement.

"No? It is not your choice to make. Sesshoumaru-sama destroyed a huge part of our forest with his ignorance. I will grant such a being no entrance into our midst, however rumored he may be. He may wait here for your return."

Before Kagome had a chance to answer, she found herself pulled flush against a hard, armored chest. Breath escaped her at the sudden movement and closeness to Sesshoumaru. He glared at the priest.

"The miko is under my protection. Wherever she goes this one goes as well."

Kagome stared up at him in awe, heartbeat increasing. When he lowered his gaze to look at her she blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed at being caught staring at him and leveled the priest with determination. Unconsciously, she placed one hand on Sesshoumaru's arm, trying to calm him.

"We are in this together. I am sorry, but if you will not allow us both entrance, we will have no choice but to fight to destroy this barrier, it is already weakened. Sesshoumaru almost succeed in destroying it. Just a few more blows on his part and your barrier is no more. I hate to use force, but our circumstances allow us no further delays."

Hideki looked astonished.

"You would rather fight together than simply follow my small request and gain the entrance that you seek? Even if you can have it much easier?", he asked, wanting to be sure.

Kagome nodded, while Sesshoumaru placed one hand on the hilt of Bakusaiga in response.

"I see", Hideki answered before grinning broadly, the thin wrinkles at the corner of his mouth becoming deeper with his smile.

"You have passed the test. You may enter."

Sesshoumaru loosened his grip on Bakusaiga, his face still stoic but the slight slumping of his shoulders a subtle evidence of his fading tension.

Kagome blinked a few times before asking unintelligible.

" _Huh?_ What _test?_ "

The priest laughed whole-heartedly at the dumbfounded expression on her face.

"Everyone that seeks entrance must pass a test. You have passed. I needed to know whether the two of you were truly accepting of each other. You were quite convincing, dear."

Kagome blushed three different shades of red when she realized that Sesshoumaru was still holding her to him.

" _No_ \- … I mean- … It's not-… Why does it even matter?", she stuttered helplessly while awkwardly escaping from Sesshoumaru's hold on her person, desperately placing some much-needed distance between the two.

Hideki snickered at her.

"The beings that enter into our world need to be accepting towards other species, you two may be travelling together but I needed to make sure that you truly accept and respect each other. You will see why", he added after noticing Kagome's inquiring gaze.

Turning his back to them, he approached the barrier, raising his golden staff high into the air.

Kagome watched in amazement as Hideki murmured some incantations in a language she had never heard of, before touching the barrier lightly with the ornate head of his staff.

An opening appeared in the barrier where he touched it, shining in a light blue color. Hideki turned to look at Kagome and Sesshoumaru.

"Kagome-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama, please follow me", he said before disappearing inside the barrier.

Kagome looked over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru, looking for his affirmation.

He walked up to stand next to her and together they crossed the barrier onto the other side.

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It was only a few hours past noon, the sun was still standing high, blinding Kagome as she walked along a small path, following the priest called Hideki. Sesshoumaru was right at her heels, following her steps like a silent shadow, his eyes boring wholes into the back of Hideki's head. Kagome let her gaze travel around, using her right palm to shield her eyes from the blinding sun.

From this side, the barrier was permanently visible. It was like a huge moving painting of the forest on the other side, the sight blurring and wavering, as if it was alive. The inside of the barrier looked no different from the other side.

Even the path of destruction created by Sesshoumaru.

Kagome felt the strong urge to groan. So, he _really_ succeeded in at least sending his destructive blow through the barrier. She was pretty sure that he would be insufferable, holding a grudge against her for daring to doubt his abilities and being all arrogant about it. It really was the last thing he needed, to gain even _more_ self-confidence.

She watched him from the corner of her eyes.

He seemed to be thinking along the same lines. His gaze travelled from the damage he inflicted back to the barrier, a seemingly blank expression on his face.

But Kagome could see right through it.

She noticed the mischievous gleam in his eyes and the subtle twitch at the corner of his moth.

He was looking really _smug_. How she hated him for being right again.

Sesshoumaru caught her glare, an eyebrow rising in question at her.

"Don't you even _dare_ saying it out loud!", she warned him, her index finger pointing accusingly at him.

He smirked, looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to acknowledge his success as well.

"Forget it, I won't butter you up!".

She crossed her arms in irritation and proceeded to focus on the path that was lying in front of her. She could even _feel_ his amused stare, boring holes into her back.

The burning sensation of being watched and silently laughed at did not fade. When Kagome couldn't stand it any longer, she turned around and stomped her foot on the ground in a childish attempt to regain her composure.

"Listen here-", she started, but Hideki's deep, raspy voice interrupted her.

"What is the matter?"

Kagome turned around to face the priest and sighed in resignation.

"Nothing, Hideki-sama. We were only having a conversation."

Hideki regarded her with an impish grin.

"Really? How interesting. When I recall correctly, it was only your voice that I heard, Kagome-sama."

Kagome blushed in anger and embarrassment.

"Well, yes… We _were_ having a conversation… Just without the talking", she stammered, trying to defend herself.

The priests gaze travelled between Kagome and Sesshoumaru in astonishment, while continuing on his path.

"How unusual. You two must be very close and know each other quite well, then. If I may be so bold as to ask, are the two of you to together?"

Kagome stilled, a dumbfounded expression appearing on her face. Sesshoumaru stilled as well, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the priest.

"What do you mean? We travel together", she asked, not catching the meaning behind Hideki's question.

The priest opened his mouth to speak, but the murderous intent in Sesshoumaru's gaze stopped him. He saw Kagome's innocent, questioning gaze and opened his mouth to speak again, dread filling him at the sight of the terrifying taiyoukai, who was _daring_ him to speak his mind.

"N- Nothing. Please, forget that I asked", he stammered after a while and turned on his heel, creating quickly as much space between him and Sesshoumaru as possible.

Kagome frowned.

What was his problem all of the sudden? Her gaze travelled to Sesshoumaru for answers and noticed the tightened muscles of his jawline. He seemed to be angry at something, but what did Hideki say that was so bad?

Then it dawned on her, heart dropping to her knees as an icy chill travelled up her spine.

 _Oh gods!_

"No!", she exclaimed suddenly, running forward to catch up with the priest, face as red as a tomato.

"No! You are mistaken- We are not together like _that_! We are companions… He- He is my intendent's _brother_ , for god's sake!", she stammered nervously.

Hideki bowed his head low in apology, caught in between his own embarrassment and panic at Sesshoumaru's response.

"Please forgive my forward question, it was out of place. I presumed too much it seems."

"Yes!", Kagome exclaimed. "Yes, you did!"

Taking a deep breath, Kagome's gaze carefully wandered to Sesshoumaru. She gasped at the angered expression on his otherwise controlled face, he was _furious._

But thankfully, he kept silent. His gaze locked with hers for a moment, the burning intensity in his gaze stealing her breath.

She gulped and continued on their path, averting her eyes.

Face still a deep shade of red, she tried to create as much space between her and Sesshoumaru as possible. But the intensity of his gaze still burned her. No matter how much space she created between them, it simply wasn't enough to get him out of her mind and calm her maddeningly beating heart.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Order of Hikari

Hi everyone!

Thank you all so much for your reviews! They always make me happy :)

Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

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 **CHAPTER 6 – The Order of Hikari**

Blood boiled in his veins, his fists clenching repeatedly in anger. On the outside, Sesshoumaru kept his cool appearance, hardly practiced over the years, but on the inside, he was enraged.

His cold and bitter gaze travelled between the priest and the miko, burning holes into the back of their heads. His fists clenched again, this time drawing a few drops of blood with the pointed ends of his razor-sharp claws.

How _dare_ the priest assume such a thing? He was Sesshoumaru, the _Killing Perfection,_ Lord of the Western Lands and ruthless Taiyoukai. Even the thought of him lowering himself to be with a human was simply _ridiculous_.

His gaze travelled back to the miko, following the long tresses of her midnight-black hair as it swayed lightly in the fresh breeze, fanning around her like a dark curtain. His gaze travelled even lower, staying on her small, round backside longer than necessary.

His glare intensified.

She wasn't even a great beauty to begin with. She was quite pretty for a human, he could admit that to himself, but nothing compared to the demonic beauties in his court.

For a second, a memory of her sitting by a cold stream appeared before his eyes, the miko smiling brightly, her radiance rivaling even that of the sun.

His insides clenched painfully at the memory and Sesshoumaru mentally shook his head, trying to get rid of the image.

 _No,_ he thought, _there is absolutely nothing to the miko._

And yet, he couldn't help but also feel irritated at _her_. Even though she wasn't worth his attention, she should at least feel _honored_ that anyone considered her that way.

Even though he knew her to be right, her words still echoed in his mind, adding even more fire to his already burning rage. It took all his self-control he had learned over the years to not lash out at both of them.

 _He really shouldn't bother on it._

It was not the miko's fault that the priest came to wrong conclusions. He had to constantly remind himself of that. And the words she had spoken were nothing but the truth, he should be relieved that at least she knew her place. He didn't need her sticking to his person like a love-sick puppy, like she used to do with his brother during their shard-hunt days.

And yet, the way she rejected the thought so vehemently left his blood boiling.

He shouldn't care, he really shouldn't. He knew that, but he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Why? Why did he even bother?

He had plenty of females throwing themselves at his feet, and yet this one slip of a woman dismissed even the _thought_ of him as a male.

That had to be it. He had never been rejected in any form before. This was the first time a female did not acknowledge him as a male. It was simply a blow to his pride.

 _Nothing more._

Yes, that made perfect sense now.

He did not _care_ about the miko's opinion. That only proved to him that her taste in men was lacking, how could he have ever doubted that? She was going to mate Inu Yasha, soon. That was the best example for her lack of taste.

He told himself that it was enough on the matter, but his fists clenched again at the thought of Inu Yasha, digging so deep into his palms this time, that a thin line of blood ran down his palm, falling onto the ground in small droplets and leaving behind a trail.

Meanwhile, Kagome still fidgeted with the hems of her haori, almost tearing the rough material from the force she applied. This awkward atmosphere made her nauseous. Since Hideki's imprudent remark on her and Sesshoumaru's non-existent relationship, she couldn't look him in the eye.

It was ridiculous, _really._ It was just a stupid remark, even Sesshoumaru had to realize it soon. Since that remark he had kept to himself, silently contemplating all the ways to kill Hideki, of that she was sure. Even when he appeared almost bored, she knew better.

His glares, the nervous twitching of his fists, that were all indications for his true feelings on the matter. Not to mention how the air seemed to be electrified from his raging youki around him.

Kagome sighed.

When exactly did she get to know him so well, that she learned to read the hidden signs? How she was ever able to believe that Sesshoumaru didn't have any emotions, was a mystery to her. He was a freaking _volcano_ of emotions, threatening to erupt at any moment in time. He was just trying to hide it.

When she couldn't stand the tension any longer, Kagome caught up with Hideki, who was leading them silently through the forest.

"Ne, Hideki-sama, what did you mean when you mentioned that everyone seeking entrance needs to pass a test?", she asked, trying to ease the tension by moving on to a different topic.

The priest flashed her a small smile, thankful himself for a chance to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"It is as I said. The people entering our world need to be free of any prejudice. Normally, we also test the pureness of their intentions, but I did not deem it necessary with the two of you. You have proven yourself through your noble actions in regard to this Naraku."

Kagome blushed slightly in embarrassment, she wasn't used to being treated like a legendary hero.

Because she was none.

It had been her fault that the Shikon no Tama was destroyed in the first place, all she did was righting her own wrongs. She would have also never accomplished it without the help of her friends and allies. But this isn't something people spoke about. That wasn't what legends and myths were about.

For a second, she wondered if it could be the same with the legend of the god's tears.

"It wasn't much, really", she answered finally after a contemplative pause.

"But why is it so important that people have no prejudices?"

The smile on Hideki's face brightened. He increased his pace slightly, walking up the small hill. When reaching the top, he pulled some branched away with his right elbow and waited for Kagome to catch up with him.

"Why don't you see for yourself, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome climbed the small hill to stand next to Hideki and gasped at what came into her view.

From her high position she could overlook a valley, which was completely covered in colorful buildings and huts.

Kagome stared in awe at the sheer size of the city laying at her feet. She didn't know that such huge settlements even _existed_ in this time period. It may not be as huge as Tokyo, but it appeared to have at least 1,000,000 habitants. The city was completely surrounded by hills, on the other side of the valley she could already see the high cliffs of a shore, behind which the wide and open sea began. On the highest cliff stood a tremendous, white building, seemingly glowing in the sun.

Hideki smiled at Kagome's awestruck expression and waited for Sesshoumaru to join them before pointing at the bright and lively city below them.

"Welcome to Koushi. This is where we live. Our home and sanctuary for those who want to live in peace. This is where human and demon kind lives in harmony."

Kagome blinked a few times, trying to grasp his meaning.

"You mean that humans and demons live here together?"

Hideki nodded at her, grinning slightly at the disbelieving look on her face.

"I see why it is so hard to believe, but see for yourself."

He proceeded his way down the hill, motioning for Kagome and Sesshoumaru to follow him and lead them down the narrow path to the magnificent city that lay before them.

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Kagome didn't even blink as they passed the huts and buildings on their way to the temple, afraid to miss out on even one single detail.

She couldn't believe what she saw with her very own eyes. People running around and doing their everyday chores. Men, human and demon alike, working on new buildings. Women chatting and laughing together, while watching their children run around the place in a playful manner. She stopped for a moment to watch a small group of children play tag on what seemed to be a market place.

Among the children were also two hanyou. One looking very humanoid, the other a strange mixture of both races, reminding her of the peaceful hanyou Jinenji, her dear friend. Though different, no one was treated differently, and all played together.

Suddenly, one of the human children stumbled over a small rock in its way and fell down, crying hardly. Kagome was about to rush to the fallen child's side when a demoness with long, flowing emerald-green hair beat her to it.

She hushed the human girl and cooed at her while helping her up and whipping away her tears with her long and slender fingers, careful of her sharp claws.

"Chiyo-chan. There is no need to cry, everyone gets hurt once in a while. When you think of something nice and pretty the pain will fade immediately."

The girl blinked a few times, seemingly in thought while a few last tears escaped from her dark lashes before smiling brightly up at the demoness. She jumped up from her spot on the ground to gather the demoness in a fiery hug.

"Thank you, Satori-san. It is all better now!"

Satori stood and grabbed Chiyo by the hand.

"Come, little one. Let us look for your mother."

As if on cue, a dark haired human woman came running at them, she stopped and sighed in relieve when her eyes found the little girl.

"Chiyo-chan. I thought something happened, I heard a cry. I'm so glad you are fine."

The little girl let go of the demoness' hand to hug her mother.

"Mommy, I'm fine! I fell and hurt myself but then Satori-san came and made it all go away!"

The human female hugged the demoness while thanking her for taking care of her daughter.

"Thank you, Satori-san. Care to join us for a cup of tea? We haven't seen each other that often since your mate fell ill. How is he?"

"Sure, thank you. Aito is much better now."

Kagome stared after them until they disappeared in the large crowd, their voices fading between all the different noises at the market place.

Tears gathered in her eyes and she quickly shut them, willing the tears to disappear.

"Is something the matter?"

She turned to her right.

Sesshoumaru stood by her side, his eyes seemingly focused in the distance, overlooking the busy crowd. He seemed to have finally calmed down and Kagome smiled at him, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

"Everything is fine. _Very_ fine. I just never witnessed something like this. I never knew of such a hidden place, inhabited by people who want to live in peace. It's such a beautiful sight. I was always hoping to witness such a thing, but never believed to actually see it."

Amber eyes turned to her, contemplating her while watching the small smile on her lips as she continued to stare off into the distance.

To her left, Hideki appeared to stand next to her, following her gaze with his own with a knowing smile on his lips.

"I hoped that you would like it. What do you think Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Averting his gaze from the miko with more difficulty than he would have liked, Sesshoumaru eyed the priest shortly before returning his attention to a spot somewhere in the far distance again.

"We need to speak with the order."

Hideki nodded somewhat disappointed at Sesshoumaru's cool reply and pointed at the pristine white building on the cliffs at the shore.

"This is the temple. We should reach it within a few hours. Please follow me."

Without another word, he resumed his walk, leading them through the busy crown on the market place and towards the shiny temple.

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Kagome sighed as they finally arrived at the foot of the cliffs. Her gaze travelled upwards, following the long steps craved into the stone of the steep cliffs. She already knew she would be all sweaty when they finally reached the top.

Heaving another sigh, she began the long climb up the stairs, following right after Sesshoumaru. At moments like this she envied him for his cool composure. It was very hot and the climb so tiring, that she began to wheeze after only a few minutes, while Sesshoumaru seemed untouched by the heat as well as the long climb.

 _He probably was_ , she thought bitterly.

It took her one moment of self-pity and carelessness, to miss out on one of the steps.

She waved with her arms but failed to regain her balance. Her eyes widened in fear and a short shriek escaped her lips as she felt herself fall backwards the steep and high steps.

Before her back could touch the sharp edges of the stony steps, she felt something tug at her hip. After that everything happened in a blur. She felt her stomach contract painfully and closed her eyes tightly to stop her nausea from arising.

When her feet softly touched the ground, she took a few deep breaths before daring to slowly open her eyes again, her hands fisted in a death-grip around something very soft and silky.

Her first view was that of Hideki, several feet beneath her and screaming at her if she was alright. Kagome blinked at him a few times before a deep rumble shook through her chest.

"You can let go now of this Sesshoumaru's hair, miko."

Kagome's gaze shot up and stared directly into a pair of gleaming amber orbs.

She blinked a few times in confusion at him, her still blurry mind unable to process the meaning of his words.

For a second, something akin to amusement sparkled in his eyes, bringing Kagome out of her stupor.

She gasped when she realized that she was standing very close to Sesshoumaru and her hands were indeed fisted into his long, silky tresses.

Suddenly very embarrassed by her own clumsiness, she tried to pull away from him, but the firm grip on her hip tightened, stopping her retreat.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her.

"Stop this childish behavior now miko, or you will fall again."

Kagome stilled, face as red as a tomato. She took a few long breaths, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart and tried to think rationally. The steps were very narrow, Sesshoumaru was right. In her embarrassed haste she would have fallen again. Her embarrassment intensified at the thought. Taking another deep breath, she finally calmed down. Hideki had already caught up with them.

"Ok, I'm fine now. You can let go of me again."

Ignoring the disbelieving look on Sesshoumaru's face, she waited for him to release her of his hold.

After a moment he did so reluctantly, which went unnoticed by Kagome and also himself, though not by Hideki. He regarded Sesshoumaru with a thoughtful stare until his burning gaze locked with his and he quickly averted his gaze to the top of the cliff.

"When you are ready, we should continue. The way up is still long", he said after clearing his throat and passed them to take the lead again.

Before Kagome was able to continue the long climb up the stairs, something huge and fluffy filled her vision.

"Hold on to this miko, unless you wish to fall again."

Kagome grabbed the end of the fluffy boa which was offered to her by Sesshoumaru and sighed in content at the feeling of its softness.

Still, she wanted to retort something to him to make herself feel better about her clumsiness and let him know that she wasn't a child and that it wasn't necessary, but one look upon his face silenced her.

There was slight concern in his gaze. _He was concerned about her well-being,_ she thought. _He cared._

The pace of her pulse quickened, and a soft blush appeared on her cheeks after her realization.

She smiled up at him instead.

"Thank you."

Without sparing her another glance, Sesshoumaru turned and resumed his climb, Kagome following in his wake, holding tightly onto his mokomoko.

The smile never left her lips as she trailed behind Sesshoumaru, her heart warming at the thought that he might care about her. Even if only a little.

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Kagome had to shield her eyes from the blinding light that was reflected by the huge white walls made of pure marble. She had to crane her neck to see the top of the temple with its ornate engravings of the gods. In the middle stood Izanagi and Izanami, the two siblings that created the mainland and parents of the other gods. Amaterasu goddess of the sun, Tsukiyomi god of the moon and Susanoo god of the storm, surrounded their parents together with other gods which Kagome was not able to distinguish. Each engraved sculpture had a stern expression on its face directed on the one that was about to enter the sacred temple. A silent warning, which made Kagome shiver for just a moment before she mentally shook her head.

 _Stupid! This is just art. Don't be such a baby._

She followed after Hideki, Sesshoumaru standing right next to her, until he stopped at the huge entrance. Hideki sank to the ground in a low bow before getting out of his wooden sandals and white socks, placing them to the right of the entrance. He motioned for Kagome and Sesshoumaru to do the same and, after sharing a quick glance, both copied his actions.

When they rose back from the ground and placed their boots and sandals next to his, Hideki nodded at them in approval before once again leading them insight.

Kagome needed a few seconds to adjust her eyes from the blinding light outside to the scarcely lit darkness inside the temple.

They were walking along a long ail made of granite. Small fires in golden goblets placed with some distance on both sides of the ail produced a dim light, coloring the normally brightly white marble walls in an orange-hue.

They were walking straight at an altar, on which several dark green cushions with golden embroidery were placed. In comparison to the rest of the temple, the altar was lit with bright torches.

One cushion was placed higher than the others, and Kagome could make out a silhouette of a male, sitting cross-ledged on the cushion, meditating. His garments were similar to that of Hideki though in a dark purple color, with golden hems to his neck and sleeves.

When they crossed the distance, Hideki brought them to a stop just in front of the priest. He was old, and his age showed in the deep creases surrounding his sharp featured. His braided hair was as white as snow and laid over his shoulder, reaching down to his knees while in his sitting position. Behind him several other priests sat on lower cushions, also meditating. The wore the same emerald green garb as Hideki, their heads also shaved.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru stood silently behind Hideki, while he sank to the ground in a low bow in front of the old priest.

"Nobunaga-sama. I brought the ones that tried to enter through our barrier. They have proven themselves worthy and seek your council."

The priest's chocolate eyes shot open, focusing on Kagome and Sesshoumaru before turning his focus on Hideki.

"Rise, Hideki. Who have you brought into our midst."

Before Kagome could open her mouth to speak, Hideki continued.

"These are Kagome-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama. The Shikon Miko and Lord of the Western Lands. The ones that fought the rumored battle against the dark hanyou Naraku. They came seeking our guidance in finding the tear of the heavenly realm."

Silence followed his speech. Kagome felt suddenly the eyes of all priests on her. As the silence stretched, Kagome began to fidget, nervously waiting for any response, when suddenly the old priest's stern and raspy voice echoed through the temple halls.

"No."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at the old priest, hands twitching in annoyance. Hideki lowered his gaze when turning to face Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

"I am sorry, but it seems that I can do nothing more for you-", but before he could finish Kagome walked up to Nobunaga and bowed low before looking him directly in the eye.

"Please Nobunaga-sama. We have travelled far for the chance of speaking with you. Please, at least hear us out."

The old priest's eyebrow rose in curiosity, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"Is that so? Fine child, you may speak. But do not think that it will change my mind."

Kagome nodded, a thankful smile appearing on her lips.

"Thank you, Nobunaga-sama. Our lands are in danger. There is a cat youkai called Takaru, son of Dairan who was the heir of the former lord of the Northern Lands. He seeks vengeance and is intent on not only claiming the Northern Lands back, but also all the others. When he succeeds it is only a matter of time until he finds you. He seeks to gain more power by finding all the sacred tears. We want to find them before he does and keep them safe."

The old priest pondered on her words.

"He still has to find them. Rest assured, they are well protected by chosen guardians."

"But what if he defeats them? He has strange powers, he is able to control other people's minds, I know it for sure for he also tried to control me."

Laughter echoed through the halls turning into a fit of coughs, before calming down again.

"The guardians are strong, they will not be controlled easily."

"You don't understand," Kagome intervened. "One of the tears is already not at its guarded place anymore, and Takaru is set on finding them all. He will do anything to succeed and he will find a way. He is not rational and does not see the danger behind the power of the stones."

Chocolate-brown eyes narrowed at Kagome.

"What do you mean by that, and how do you know that it is true?"

Ignoring Sesshoumaru's warning glare and slight tug on the back of her haori to stop her, she freed herself from his grip and came closer to Nobunaga.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you. You will have to trust me on that matter."

Nobunaga snorted in disgust.

"Trust _you_? Who do you think you are, girl! Shikon Miko or not, no one dares to make orders in our temple! Especially not the ones that destroyed our lands. Leave this temple. You may stay for the night in Koushi, but when the sun rises you will leave this place and never return."

Kagome gulped at the priest's stern order.

"But-", she tried but was immediately interrupted by Hideki, an apologetic look on his face.

"Please Kagome-sama. Nobunaga-sama's orders are final. We have tried."

When he tried to push her gently away from the altar, Sesshoumaru gripped his wrist tightly, making him wince slightly in pain.

"Do not touch the miko. We will not leave without the information we came for."

His deep velvet voice that was promising pain sent shivers down the priests spines.

The only one remaining fearless was the head priest Nobunaga, an amused gleam shimmering in his eyes.

"Is that so? I am afraid this choice is not yours to make. What will you do? Will you fight us? Please, do so. If you kill us there will be no one left to tell you what you desire."

Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw. The priest was right, but he could still threaten them.

A deadly smirk appeared on his face as he took slow, calculative steps towards Nobunaga, his right hand moving to Bakusaiga's hilt.

"No, but this Sesshoumaru can make you _suffer_ until you will beg to give this one what he desires."

The other priests emerged from behind, placing themselves protectively in front of their head priests with raised staffs and swords, a frightened but determined expression on their face.

Before Sesshoumaru could start his first attack, a small weight appeared on his arm, which was holding onto Bakusaiga.

His eyes shot to the side to stare into Kagome's pleading sapphire orbs.

"Please Sesshoumaru, don't hurt them. If they will not help us we will find another way. Just don't fight them please."

Her voice was no more than a whisper, but still everyone could hear her clearly.

Without even thinking about it, the hand that gripped Bakusaiga's hilt lowered to the ground while his eyes never strayed from hers.

Kagome nodded only at him, a thankful small smile appearing on her lips.

When they turned to leave a shout from the corner of the hall stopped them.

"Please wait!"

Eyes widening slightly, both turned to see one priest sprinting toward Nobunaga, his long garbs rustling with his quick steps. He came to a sudden halt just in front of the head priest and fell in a deep bow.

"Please reconsider, Nobunaga-sama!"

The head priest eyed him warily.

"What is the meaning of this, Jinshi?"

Kagome could only stare in wonder at the back of the priest's head while he spoke in their favor.

"I beg your pardon, Nobunaga-sama, but it is not our decision. Himiko-sama should decide on the matter."

Nobunaga wrinkled his nose at the priest before him.

"Do not trouble Himiko-sama with such trivial things. They are not worthy. I have decided."

Kagome blinked in wonder. Who was this Himiko?

"I am sorry Nobunaga-sama, but I must insist that you rethink your opinion on the matter", Jinshi objected. "Have you forgotten about the prophecy?"

Silence reigned after Jinshi's last statement. Nobunaga's brows rose to his temples, a surprised expression on his face.

"You mean-", he started in disbelieve but could not finish his own sentence.

"Yes", Jinshi finished for him. "I believe so."

The head priest scratched his chin, lost in deep thought before suddenly, a wide grin appeared on his face.

"It is indeed possible", he agreed with Jinshi. "Come back you two."

He beckoned them to come closer, but Kagome felt very unsure. She didn't understand what was happening right now. First, he was throwing them out and now he wanted them to stay? Something wasn't right.

"Why so suddenly? What prophecy did he talk about and what does it have to do with us?", Kagome asked skeptically.

Nobunaga narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance.

"This youth nowadays. Do not concern yourself with our matters. Do you want the information now or not?"

Sesshoumaru stepped closer, his steps echoing from the high walls and fixed the head priest with a glare.

"Speak."

Nobunaga's eyes flashed impishly.

"I cannot tell you the location of the Tear of Heaven, for we do not know it. But what we can tell you is how to find its chosen guardian, Himiko-sama. She is the only one who knows of its whereabouts. However, there is one condition. We need something in exchange."

A sly smirk appeared on Sesshoumaru's lips. If the priest wanted to bargain with him, then so be it.

"What is it that you want?"

Nobunaga's eyes fixed on Sesshoumaru, his scrutinizing gaze travelled his form up and down until it came to rest on the hilt of Bakusaiga. Making up his mind, he locked his gaze with Sesshoumaru's.

"Just one thing, your power. You are a very strong being, and the armies of the West are feared throughout all the lands. We seek an alliance and protection. You will come to our aid and fight with us, should the need ever arise."

Sesshoumaru sneered, ignoring Nobunaga's angered expression at his behavior.

"No. That is a lot asked, seeing as you have no idea where the stone is. What else do you want?"

The head priest crossed his arms in irritation.

"There is nothing more you could give us. Considering the damage you left upon our lands, it is the least you can do."

Sesshoumaru's smirk deepened before looking at a bewildered Kagome.

"Come miko, we have waisted enough time here. We will find this Himiko on our own. The order is of no use to us."

Kagome gulped but nodded nonetheless, not wanting to argue with Sesshoumaru on this matter.

"Wait", Nobunaga called after them. "You will never find Himiko-sama without our directions. No one knows how to find her but us. We exist since thousands of years and our knowledge goes beyond your imagination. It would be unwise to refuse our generous offer."

Sesshoumaru turned to stare at Nobunaga, one elegant eyebrow raising in question.

"Is that so. This one fails to see your point since you cannot even answer our only question."

Nobunaga was fuming, his cheeks turning slightly red from anger.

"You insolent whelp! Show some respect!"

In a flash, Sesshoumaru stood directly in front of the still sitting priest, poison seeping from the tip of his claws.

"Never again speak of this one in such a manner. The fact that you are still breathing is evidence enough for this one's show of respect. Be grateful that this one does not wish to make a mess in front of the miko and still considers your offer. However, slight changes need to be made."

Nobunaga gulped and nodded at the intimidating taiyoukai in front of him. He hoped that he did not realize too late that it was not wise to anger the Lord of the Western Lands.

"What kind of changes do you have in mind, Sesshoumaru-sama?", he asked meekly.

The poison dissipated into thin air as he answered the head priest.

"This Sesshoumaru will grant your request, in exchange for the information and additional things."

Nobunaga nodded and a small grin returned on his face. He was staring to have fun bargaining with the youkai lord.

"What are your additional conditions?"

Nobunaga followed Sesshoumaru's gaze which went to Kagome, who stiffened at suddenly being the main point of their attention.

"First, we need a new bow for the miko. Her old one got destroyed in battle with the feline youkai. Second, she is not able to fully control her powers. You will find out why."

Kagome could only stare at Sesshoumaru in awe. Was he really bargaining in _her_ favor? Why? She must be dreaming.

"Agreed."

With help from two other priests, Nobunaga finally stood from his position on the cushion and held out his hand for Sesshoumaru to shake to sign their deal. When Sesshoumaru refused to take it with an icy stare, Nobunaga let his hand fall to his side, huffing slightly.

"I must say that I like you. You are hard to bargain with, that was fun!"

Sesshoumaru regarded the head priest coolly.

"This Sesshoumaru does not share this sentiment."

"Whatever."

Nobunaga laughed at Sesshoumaru's response before motioning for Kagome to come to him. After sharing a quick glance with Sesshoumaru, she took slow, uncertain steps toward him, which did not go unnoticed by the head priest.

"Come here child, I won't bite you!"

Kagome came to a stop when she reached the highest step of the altar, feeling very uneasy at Nobunaga's scrutinizing look that travelled her up and down.

"What is the problem, child? Did you not succeed in your training? I thought you are the Shikon Miko."

Kagome blushed in embarrassment and lowered her gaze to the ground.

"No- It's not- I listened to Kaede-sama and her training! And I managed all that she taught me!", she stammered, trying desperately to defend her lack of skill. "It's just that sometimes it works just fine and then other times, it seems as though I have no powers at all! They will simply not rise and obey me."

The head priest regarded her thoughtfully, his right hand rose to scratch his sharp chin.

"That is indeed interesting. When you know how to use them you know how to do it. There shouldn't be a problem."

Kagome sweat-dropped at his response and flashed Sesshoumaru a quick glance before retuning her focus to the priest in front of her and continued.

"Yes, I have heard that before, but it doesn't change the fact that the problem still remains."

Nobunaga pondered on her words, making Kagome fidget under his hard stare.

"You don't mind, do you?"

Without waiting for her response or bothering to tell her what it is that she could mind, he placed both hands on top of her head and shot his reiki through her.

Kagome stood there, paralyzed. She tried to open her mouth to speak but couldn't move even one single muscle in her body.

Panic rose inside of her when she felt the immense power of his reiki enter her body and touch her soul from the inside, leaving her burning.

She felt vulnerable and naked in front of him. He could see and feel everything that she was, that made her Kagome. She had never met a priest with such a strong reiki, it tugged at her inside, making her want to scream as pain like she had never felt before engulfed her.

 _Please stop!_

"Do not fight it, child. I am almost done."

His voice seemed to echo in the back of her mind.

Tears brimmed in her eyes when another wave of his reiki shot into her, tugging at a spot deep inside her. She could feel her insides fight. He was trying to pull something out which didn't want to be freed, but he tried nonetheless. And it hurt. It hurt _badly._ Tears rolled down her cheeks, dampening the collar of her haori. She could do nothing but scream in her mind at the immense pain.

From far away, she registered a faint roar and suddenly the pain stopped and she dropped to her knees. Before she fell onto the cold floor, she felt a pair of strong arms grab her from behind and pull her flush against a hard, armored chest. A shiver ran through her as she felt the vibrations through the chest plate.

Sesshoumaru growled at the head priest while keeping Kagome from falling. When she finally lost consciousness from all the pain, he grabbed her under her knees and lifted her up into his arms.

A spark of concern sparkled in his amber eyes, when he looked at the unconscious miko in his arms, before returning his glare at the priest.

" _What"_ , he roared _"Have you done to her."_

For a second his eyes bled red.

Nobunaga merely huffed at him.

"I have done what you asked me to do. I looked inside her soul for a reason of her lack of control on her powers."

" _You almost killed what this Sesshoumaru promised to protect_ ", Sesshoumaru snarled.

The priest rolled his eyes, not intimidated by Sesshoumaru anymore.

"Don't be so dramatic. I was in no way trying to kill her. She will recover, just give her a couple of hours. Hideki will lead you to a free hut where you can rest. There is a festivity in our city this evening to celebrate 5000 years of Koushi. After the miko rested, you are invited to join the festivities. Now, will you listen to what I found out about your miko or not?"

His grip on Kagome tightened, unsure what was his main priority at the moment, killing the priest for daring to harm someone under his protection or his curiosity over the priest's findings.

"Speak, before this Sesshoumaru loses his patience, priest."

Nobunaga sighed.

"There is a seal upon your miko."

Not able to keep the surprise from his expression this time, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened.

"A seal?"

"Hn", Nobunaga nodded.

"A very old and powerful seal, I tried to remove it but could not. I have never seen such a seal before. Even our combined powers would not suffice to break it. It is remarkable. I wonder for what reason the girl got a seal placed upon her. It is surprising that she can use her powers _at all_. I apologize, but I cannot help you with this problem. You should also ask Himiko-sama about this. If anyone knows what to do, it is her."

Sesshoumaru stared at the still form of the miko in his arms in surprise. She looked so pale and fragile in his arms.

Why was there a seal on her? For what purpose? And did she know?

 _No,_ Sesshoumaru thought, _she does not know this._

"Enjoy the festivities and rest for the night. In the morning I will have the bow ready for Kagome-sama and give you the directions to Himiko-sama."

Sesshoumaru nodded silently, his gaze never leaving Kagome's still face.

Hideki stepped up to him and cleared his throat to gain his attention.

Sesshoumaru followed after him, carrying Kagome in his arm. He had to try harder than usual to ignore the dread that filled him thinking of the unconscious miko.

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She ran while clutching tightly onto her stomach, blood seeping freely from her deep wound and spilling onto the mossy ground. Tears ran down the young demoness cheeks. She desperately tried to brush them off, smearing blood onto her face and her dark blue hair in the process. She couldn't afford to cry. She needed to be strong. Her whole village was dead, her mother and little brother ruthlessly killed in front her own eyes. She screamed in agony, not able to forget the images deeply burned into her memory, following her every step. Shaking her head, she tried to focus on her goal. She needed to reach her father in time before _he_ did.

Sticks and branches caught in her already messy hair as she ran with demonic speed, not caring if she got cut by branches.

Relieve filled her as she made out an entrance to a cave in the distance.

"Father!", she shouted with all the force she had left. "FATHER! HE IS HERE! HE IS COMING!"

A male demon with the same dark blue hair emerged from the shadows. Eyes widening in fear as he saw his bleeding daughter running at him.

"Dana!"

Seeing her father, the girl increased her pace and stumbled over a large branch just before reaching him. Before she touched the ground, her father was at her side, catching her fall before gently lowering his wounded daughter onto the ground. His blue eyes widened in fear as he helplessly tried to stop the blood from seeping out of the deep wound in her stomach. Her youkai healing abilities were not fast enough to compensate the loss of blood.

"Dana", he asked, his voice breaking. "Dana, what happened?! And where is your mother and brother?"

The girl began to sob as the tears ran freely down her cheeks.

"He found us father, he killed them all. They are all dad. Mother and Taku…. And all the other villagers. They are all gone."

The male demon roared in agony.

"No! _No!_ This could not happen. You were supposed to be safe… I'm so sorry Dana. This is all my fault. Please forgive me."

He lowered his head as tears ran down his cheeks, not able to look his dying daughter in the eye.

"Go father, before he finds you too. You must not tell him. He mustn't know."

"No!", the male demon roared. "I will not let you alone!"

Grasping his arm gently, the girl looked into his eyes. A sad but determined look upon her face.

"It is not your fault. Our family swore to protect this knowledge before either of us was born. It is our duty. And you must see it fulfilled. Please father, you mustn't fail. Do it for Mother, for Taku, for _me_. I love you, father."

Her ragged breathing stopped as did her heartbeat.

The demon howled in agony, not able to leave his dead daughters side, murmuring soft apologies into her ear in between his sobs, while caressing her still face, smearing more blood over it in the process.

"No… F-Forgive me Dana… No!...You c-cannot leave…. This is all my fault…."

"How pathetic! And you call yourself a demon? Get a grip on yourself."

Blood froze in his veins at the sound of _that_ voice.

"You…", he spat.

"You killed her. You killed them ALL!"

In a flash, he got up from his kneeling position next to the dead body of his young daughter to slash at the intruder with his claws.

The red-haired demon jumped out of his way. Green eyes narrowing in dark amusement.

"Is this all you have? Pathetic."

He pulled his sword and cut a deep gash across the other man's chest, sending him flying into a pool of his daughter's blood, his own joining in the dark red puddle.

Slowly, he approached the fallen demon, who grit his teeth and forced himself to stand.

"You will tell me how to find it", the red-haired demon spoke, pointing the tip of his sword at the battered demon in front of him.

"Never", de blue-haired demon spat, blood running down the corner of his mouth.

"Kill me if you want, there is nothing more worth living for me since you destroyed everything I lived for."

Green eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"You will tell me, Takaru, son of Dairan, what I want to know."

The blue-haired demon continued to stare at him defiantly, while gripping the gash across his chest.

"Fine, then you will show me."

Within the blink of an eye Takaru gripped the other demon's face tightly, sharp claws piercing into his face.

A fog entered his mind. The demon tried to fight it but couldn't help the images that appeared in his mind, showing exactly what Takaru wanted to know.

 _No,_ he thought, _what is he doing? He is playing with my mind!_

But no matter how hard he fought, he was not able to stop it. After a while Takaru released him. He jumped onto his feet, prepared to slash at Takaru, and mentally cursing for leaving his weapon in the hidden cave.

"Thank you for the information, Yuri. You were very helpful. And now bow in front of the future ruler of all the four lands."

"I will never bow before the likes of _you_ ", Yuri spat. "DIE!"

With all force he could muster, he launched another attack at the wickedly grinning Takaru, who blocked every one of his attacks with ease.

"Oh, you will bow before me."

Yuri sneered at him. "You cannot go to the underworld. I know what you are up to and I will kill you before you can continue on your chosen path of destruction!"

Yuri charged another series of attacks at Takaru, but he dodged every one of them without any effort.

Suddenly, Takaru turned and appeared right in front of Yuri, cutting of Yuri's legs with one clean swipe of his sword.

With an agonizing scream of pain, Yuri fell to the ground, trying to hold himself up on his arms.

Takaru laughed at the sight in front of him.

"See? I told you that you _will_ bow in front of me. Please deliver my best wished to your family."

With the last sentence, he pulled his sword down, separating Yuri's head from the rest of his body with one clean cut.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Warning

Hi everyone!

Here's the next chapter, sorry for the long wait. I've been very busy with work and travelling for work. I'm actually still very busy with work so the next chapter might also take some time. But probably not as long as this chapter. Thanks a lot for your wonderful reviews!And also thank you for your suggestions. I have kept them in mind. I still have to re-check the last chapters, but I'm afraid that I'll probably never be able to correct all the mistakes. Most are probably due to the fact that english is not my native language. Sorry for this and I hope they don't interrupt to much with the story.

Enjoy!

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 **CHAPTER 7 – The Warning**

 _Everything was dark. Kagome tried to see the outline of her surroundings, but try as she might, her eyes weren't able to adjust to the pith black darkness around her. She placed one foot in front of the other, careful not to stumble over something in her way. She walked for what felt like hours, but there was still no light in sight._

 _Just as she was about to give up and succumb to the desperation she felt, a blinding light appeared just in front of her. Kagome had to shield her eyes from the golden rays, reminding her of the sun itself. The light dimmed and where the sphere of light had appeared, a breathtakingly beautiful woman materialized in front of her._

 _She had long, blond hair, glowing almost like pure gold, that fell softly around her petit form. She was dressed in the finest silks Kagome had ever seen. Golden in color with beautiful swirls of what seemed to be pure gold. Sparkling blue eyes regarded Kagome with sympathy._

 _"_ _I am so sorry, child. Hard times are awaiting you."_

 _Kagome stared in awe at the beautiful woman in front of her before thinking that she might be waiting for a response._

 _"_ _Who are you and what do you mean by that?"_

 _The woman smiled sadly at her, making Kagome's heart clench at the sight._

 _"_ _This I cannot tell you, but I am here to warn you. You and your companion started something I hoped would never come to pass. But you cannot stop fate from finding its chosen ones and leading them on their fated path. However, how this will unfold is still up to you."_

 _Kagome frowned in bewilderment. Somehow her explanations only confused her even more._

 _"_ _I don't understand… What are you talking about?"_

 _The woman regarded Kagome closely before answering._

 _"_ _You will understand in time. I cannot tell you more. Only that you need to find the other stones as quickly as possible. I am afraid Takaru is taking very irresponsible and drastic measures to gain what he desires. He will soon release destruction upon your realm. It is too late to stop it from happening. All you can do now is to find the stones and stop all the death and destruction he is about to release."_

 _Kagome pondered on her words before asking again._

 _"_ _Can you at least tell me what kind of destruction he will bring? And how we are supposed to stop him with the stones?"_

 _The otherworldly woman in front of her flashed her an apologetic smile._

 _"_ _I wish that I could, but I am not allowed. But I can show you the destruction soon to come so that you will understand the importance of your mission."_

 _Slowly, the woman approached Kagome, her silk garments rustling with her every move. Kagome flinched when the woman reached for her, which did not go unnoticed._

 _A sad expression appeared on her face, while she spoke reassuringly to Kagome._

 _"_ _Do not be afraid, Kagome. I will not harm you. Give me your hand and I will show you what you need to see."_

 _Kagome hesitated for a moment, but the sad and hurt look in the woman's gaze made Kagome's heart ache for unknown reasons. Without thinking further about her trustworthiness, Kagome placed her hand carefully in her waiting palm._

 _As soon as she touched her, images flashed before her eyes. Kagome gasped and tears started to run down her face in streams._

 _She saw burning villages and cities, dark smoke darkened the sky, turning it dark grey. The dead bodies of people, humans and demons alike, missing several limbs lay scattered across the ground, forming large piles of dead bodies. Their blood tinted the whole floor in a dark red color. Kagome could even smell the metallic sting in the air, leaving a sour taste in her mouth, making her nauseous._

 _There was lightning in the distance, followed by a load roar of thunder, that chilled her to the bones._

 _She sobbed. She couldn't bear the sight._

 _Is this really what was about to happen? What Takaru's thirst for revenge would bring? Another flash of light illuminated some of the faces of the dead bodies to her feet._

 _Kagome screamed._

 _The empty eyes of her friends stared back at her, an accusing look forever frozen on their face. Their hollow stares were directed at Kagome, as if blaming her for their death._

 _Kagome cried harder at the sight._

 _"_ _Inu Yasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou... No!"_

 _She knelt down next to the blood-sputtered face of the small kit, cradling his still form to her chest. Her tears fell down on his face, smearing with the blood upon it._

 _"_ _This can't happen!", she sobbed. "Please stop this! Please, no more! I have seen enough!"_

 _The vision didn't fade, but she heard the woman's distant voice in her head._

 _"_ _You needed to see this. You can stop this vision yourself. Just wake up Kagome."_

 _Kagome sobbed and shut her eyes tight, clutching Shippou's dead body to her chest tightly._

 _She was still there. She couldn't stop this nightmare on her own, she didn't know how to get herself to wake up._

 _"_ _Please, I beg you, stop this vision."_

 _Once again, the woman's voice echoed in the back of her mind._

 _"_ _You need to wake up Kagome."_

 _Kagome cried even harder and started shaking._

 _"_ _I can't… I just can't… please… just please…"_

 _She stood with Shippou in her arms and walked over to the dead body of her beloved Hanyou, kneeling down next to him._

 _"_ _Inu Yasha, I am so sorry…"_

 _She caressed his blood-smeared cheek with the back of her palm. His eyes stared back at her, void of its usual gleam._

 _"_ _Wake up Kagome…"_

 _She ignored the voice, as she caught sight of silver and white in the distance. Lovingly, she closed Inu Yasha's eyes and kissed his bloody brow before placing Shippou next to him and walked toward the silver-white pile._

 _"_ _Wake up Kagome…"_

 _Again, she ignored the voice. She felt hollow and wanted nothing more than for this nightmare to end, but something in her told her she needed to see one more thing. On shaky legs and with a blurred vision she walked on, mindful of the dead bodies sprawled everywhere around her._

 _As she came closer she saw a blade embedded into a body. The blood around the wound,where the blade pierced his chest, soaked the former pristine-white silken garments, turning them red._

 _Kagome's heart broke once again._

 _She slumped to the ground next to the still form and couldn't avert her gaze from the light amber pools, that seemed to stare right through her into nothingness._

 _"_ _No!", she cried anew, her heart constricting painfully. "Not you too, Sesshoumaru."_

 _She grasped his bloody hand and gave it a tight squeeze._

 _"_ _You are the ever-arrogant and invincible Sesshoumaru! You can't just die on me, too! You promised to protect me! You can't die!"_

 _In her desperation she forgot where she was and that it was only a vision._

 _"_ _Please," she begged him to no avail. "Please don't leave me! I can't do this without you."_

 _She hiccupped and choked on her tears as memories flashed before her eyes of her time with Sesshoumaru. His self-confident smirk, his arrogant attitude that drove her mad sometimes, his calm but also caring nature. Their building friendship._

 _Her heart clenched painfully at all the memories of_ him _and she couldn't breathe anymore._

 _"_ _Please Sesshoumaru, I need you", she whispered brokenly and let her head fall onto his bloodied chest._

 _"_ _It is time to wake up", the voice spoke again, sending shivers down her body._

 _She remembered now, this wasn't real. But this_ could _become real. Her hands fisted in his soaked garments._

 _She didn't want this to happen! She had to somehow stop it from happening!_

 _Just as determination settled inside her, everything around her began shaking violently._

 _"_ _Wake up…. Wake up… Wake up…"_

 _The words of the woman repeated themselves in her head like a mantra. The ground shook even more. She clutched Sesshoumaru's blood-soaked haori and held onto him, not able to steady herself on the violently shaking ground and not willing to let go of him._

"Kagome, wake up!"

Tear-filled stormy-blue eyes snapped open as Kagome gasped for air. She tried to get into a standing position but was held back by two strong arms that held her firmly against a hard chest.

"Cease your struggles, miko. You were out for hours and then started tossing and screaming."

Breath hitched in her throat at the sound of his deep baritone voice.

Slowly, as if afraid to lose him should she turn too quickly, Kagome turned her head to the side to gaze directly into Sesshoumaru's concerned amber orbs, which seemed to be burning.

Again, tears streamed down her face.

 _He was alive. They were all still alive. It was just a nightmare. A stupid, cruel nightmare._

Without caring that she was practically sitting in his lap or bothering to question how she happened to wake up in his hold, she turned around and threw her arms around his neck and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

She clung to him while she couldn't stop the sobs or the tears that ran down her cheeks to soak the fine silk at his neck.

For once, a shocked expression appeared on Sesshoumaru's face. His eyes widened while his whole body went rigid.

He didn't know what happened, he didn't know how to handle the situation.

For the first time in his live Sesshoumaru was at a loss and didn't know what to do.

So, he just sat there with an emotionally unstable miko in his lap that was holding onto his person so forcefully, that she almost cut off his air supply. Her cries were so loud, they echoed in his mind and the scent of her tears filled his nostrils, leaving him with a salty taste in his mouth.

He was unsure of himself, not knowing how to react to that kind of behavior.

"Y- You... live", she choked out between her desperate sobs.

Sesshoumaru stared down at the top of her head, that was shaking with her sobs.

"I am so glad… It was just a dream… You live…".

He barely heard her words as she mumbled them into his throat, almost touching his skin with her lips.

A sudden warmth filled him when his mind processed the meaning of her words.

She was in this state of mind because she dreamed of his death? Sesshoumaru could only stare at her in a mixture of confusion and awe.

Then he felt it, this strange yearning that he had felt before. It was there again, making his body act on its own accord.

Without realizing it, his arms encircled her back, holding her gently to him while she cried. His eyes shut close as he breathed in her heavy and worried scent.

It should annoy him, he should be mad at her for defiling his person with her wimpy emotions, but he wasn't.

He felt sorry for her and, to his utter surprise, at peace.

He held her until her tears dried and her sobs ceased. Until she leaned away from him to look him in the eye.

"Sorry… I am so sorry. I didn't mean to throw myself at you like that."

She let go of him and tried to pull away from his hold, thinking she had molested his person enough already, but his hold on her didn't loosen.

Confused, she met his gaze and almost gasped at the tenderness she saw in his eyes, once again forgetting that she was still sitting in his lap.

"Tell me about this dream, Kagome."

His voice was soft when he spoke to her. Kagome blushed at the tender and slightly raspy tone of his voice and lowered her gaze to stare at a suddenly very interesting spot on the ground to her left.

Sesshoumaru hooked a slender, clawed finger beneath her chin and gently, raised her face to meet his burning gaze again.

Kagome blushed even more while her heart beat so maddeningly that she was afraid it would jump out of her ribcage.

"Well, it was just a dream", she tried to change the subject but Sesshoumaru was persistent.

"Tell me."

Caught in his gaze Kagome nodded.

"A woman appeared in my dreams, she said that she wanted to warn us that something bad is about to happen. That Takaru is about to unleash destruction upon this realm and that we can't prevent it but that we have to stop the worst from happening with the stones we are looking for. Then she showed it to me", Kagome lowered her gaze and shuddered at the memory of what she had seen.

"Everything was destroyed. And everyone was dead. Humans, demons, my friends, Inu Yasha and _you_ ", She almost whispered the last part.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at this.

"Do you have premonitions, miko?"

Kagome stared up at him.

"No, I have never had any", she stated after a quick pause. "You mean this could be more than just a simple nightmare?"

Sesshoumaru nodded at her.

"Hn. One cannot tell for sure, but this dream is strange. It could really be a warning. We will have to see."

Kagome nodded and lowered her gaze in thought. _Oh, how she hoped this would only be a bad nightmare!_

A knock behind her startled her out of her dark thoughts and she jumped up from Sesshoumaru's lap as soon as he relinquished his hold on her, face a deep shade of red again.

Sesshoumaru appeared untouched by the close proximity they had just shared, while Kagome still tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Sesshoumaru glared at the entrance.

"Enter", he whispered after a while in a voice that was promising death.

The tatami mat was swept to the side and Hideki appeared in the entrance, holding a package in his hand. His gaze softened when it fell on Kagome. Instantly he rushed to her.

"Kagome-sama, thank gods you are well again. We have all been worried for you when you didn't wake up, even Nobunaga-sama. He would never admit that out loud, though."

Kagome smiled at Hideki before suddenly remembering what happened before her dream. Eyes wide, she clutched at her chest as if to see if she was still in pain. Sesshoumaru noticed this and narrowed his eyes.

"Are you still in pain, miko?"

Kagome blinked a few times as if to make sure.

"No, I'm fine. What was that anyway?"

Hideki flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Nobunaga-sama was looking into your soul for a reason for your lack of control on your powers, he should have warned you, though. It is a painful process. We were so worried when you fell unconscious and didn't wake up. Sesshoumaru-sama was so _furious_ I thought he was going to kill Nobunaga-sama", Hideki said, shivering slightly upon remembering what happened.

"He never left your side, Kagome-sama", he added with emphasis and a strange look that Kagome could not place.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes dangerously at the priest in front of him who shifted nervously under his burning gaze.

"Well," Kagome spoke finally, "Did he at least find something?"

Hideki flashed Sesshoumaru a questioning look, surprised about her question.

"The miko just awoke, this Sesshoumaru was about to tell her when you arrived".

His tone was calm, but Hideki understood the silent message that his presence was not welcome.

"I see", he simply stated. "I didn't want to interrupt your conversation or Kagome-sama's rest. I came to bring you something."

He unwrapped the package he brought with him and presented Kagome a beautiful midnight-blue silk kimono, imprinted with silver- and pink-colored flowers.

Kagome gasped at its beauty and unconsciously reached out to touch the soft material.

"This is beautiful", she said in awe.

Hideki smiled whole-heartedly at her.

"I am glad you like it. This is for you, Nobunaga-sama picked it. You probably don't know yet but there are festivities in our town tonight. When you are well enough, we would be overjoyed if you and Sesshoumaru-sama joined us. Nobunaga-sama thought you might want a change of clothes for this event. He also picked one for Sesshoumaru-sama, but he declined."

Kagome stared at it. It was too much. She couldn't take it.

"I am afraid I must also decline, it is simply too much. But I sincerely thank you for this beautiful kimono."

Hideki smiled sadly at her and tried to convince her to take it, but it was Sesshoumaru who got to her.

"Take it now, miko. If you want to join the festivities you should wear something appropriate for a guest of high status."

Kagome blushed at his intense stare. She didn't know what was wrong with her traditional miko-attire which spoke of her status, but she didn't want to argue with Hideki _and_ Sesshoumaru. Besides, she really loved this kimono and it was also rude to decline such a generous gift.

Hideki smiled happily when Kagome finally accepted the gift and took it from him.

"I will leave you know, you probably have much to talk about. I hope to see you both later, the festivities start in an hour."

With a last smile at Kagome and a respectful bow to Sesshoumaru he left the hut.

Kagome flashed Sesshoumaru a questioning glance, her previous dilemma almost forgotten after what Hideki had said.

"Now, will you tell me what happened?"

Sesshoumaru pondered on how to tell her the news. He wasn't sure how well she would take to them. He decided on a simple start.

"The monk has summarized most of it."

Kagome arched both eyebrows at him.

"And? What did Nobunaga-sama find? I hope he really found something cause it hurt badly! I don't want all this pain to be in vain, after all."

Sesshoumaru kept silent, staring at her intently. Kagome felt slight unease rising in the pit of her stomach.

For Sesshoumaru to not answer straight to the point and be done with it, was very out of character. He never gave thought to what other people might think about him, so the fact that he was contemplating his answer so long could only mean something very bad. Her bad feeling intensified when she noticed uncertainty in his gaze for a second.

"Ahm… Sesshoumaru? Will you please talk to me?", she almost pleaded, gaze lowering to the ground while awaiting his response.

"Did he find something?", Kagome asked again, when no answer came from the silent daiyoukai.

"Yes", was his short reply after a long moment.

Her unease gave way to annoyance and she crossed her arms in front of her chest in an irritated manner.

"Really, how about some details?"

Sesshoumaru sighed before finally answering her question.

"He found a seal upon you."

Kagome almost choked at his words.

"A _seal_?", she exclaimed in utter surprise. "What seal? Why is there a seal upon my powers? And did he lift it?"

Sesshoumaru gave her a stern look.

"This is all he said. He mentioned it was a very old and powerful seal and it was not in his powers to break it. We are to ask this Himiko about it."

Her head was spinning with the recent information provided by Sesshoumaru. She couldn't believe that there was a seal on her powers.

Why? And who did this? Maybe the head-priest was wrong in his assumption? Maybe there was no seal upon her after all and it was just her lack in skill? Somehow, that would be much easier than thinking about who would place a seal on her powers and for what reason. She couldn't shake the feeling that somehow it was easier to blame herself for her lack of control on her powers. Her hands fisted in the red fabric of her Hakama, until Sesshoumaru's voice brought her out of her musings.

"Do not dwell on it, Kagome. It is of no use as of now. Focus your energy on what comes next."

Kagome nodded at him, knowing that he was right, but she simply couldn't shake this feeling of foreboding.

First this strange dream, and now a seal?

Sesshoumaru rose, from his sitting position across from her and walked toward the entrance. When he was standing next to her he placed a hand on her shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. He caught Kagome's gaze when her eyes shot up to lock with his amber orbs.

"You should do as the priests suggested and take some time to 'enjoy yourself' as they put it. Change into your new kimono and then join this Sesshoumaru outside."

Without another word, he left the hut and waited for the totally perplexed and stunned Kagome.

He watched the sun as it began to decent behind one of the hills surrounding the valley, coloring the landscape in warm hues of orange. He inhaled deeply and concentrated on the sound of waves colliding with the high cliffs of the shore.

He was not fond of festivities but would endure this one for the sake of the miko. He really hoped that it would lighten her mood after the incidents of the day.

Sesshoumaru never thought twice about his decisions. He also never thought much about other people, but with the miko, he couldn't shake the feeling that he might have made a mistake by talking her into accompanying him.

It was not the fact that he despised her presence, on the contrary.

As reluctant as he was to admit that to himself, the miko was quite nice having around. With her by his side, his days weren't as boring as they used to be. She never cowered in fear before him and always spoke what was on her mind. Even if it ended in bickering. He quite enjoyed the challenge she presented.

She was also very caring and loyal to a fault. Her clumsiness was amusing, and she was quite skilled when it came to diplomacy. She always knew how to ease the tension. Her gentle way affected the people around her.

Whereas Sesshoumaru had to fight most of the time to gain what he desired, the miko could convince people to do her bidding just by her calm nature and one radiant smile.

His gaze was still fixed upon the sky, which began to turn blue as the sun set even further.

The miko had been happy with her life.

The journey which he more or less forced her to go on, seemed to have a large impact on her. A lot of things concerning the miko came up. This strange dream that affected her so much, this seal upon her powers.

He couldn't help but think, that without having to accompany him, she would have never known of these things and would just live happily in her village with her friends and his half-brother. He ignored the sharp pang in his chest he immediately felt at the course his thoughts had taken.

For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru was thinking about someone other than himself and really hoped that his selfishness and thirst for power and revenge would not result in the destruction of the pure and gentle nature of Kagome.


End file.
